Bittersweet
by Sara Sidle Grissom
Summary: Reid needs to try and forget about Maeve. Through friends and work he is able to. Meanwhile JJ is struggling when her marriage with Will comes to an end. Will they be there to comfort each other? Eventually Reid/JJ. Work in progress.
1. Chapter 1

**Bittersweet**

A/N: Last night's episode startled something within me that I just had to get down on paper. Reid deserves to be happy, and if they're not going to give him happiness on the show, I might as well give it to him here. This story will eventually be JJ/Reid, but I want to try and keep it as close to the characters as possible, so it might take some time.

* * *

Chapter 1:

_All I want is nothing more  
To hear you knocking at my door_  
'_cause if I could see your face once more  
I could die a happy man I'm sure  
- All I want by Kodaline_

It was a quiet night at the BAU. They were all gathered in the conference room after JJ had asked them to. She looked at the faces of all of her friends, all but one. "I'm worried about Spence," she admitted, sitting down at the round table. "It's been almost two weeks since what happened; I thought we would've heard from him by now."

Morgan nodded his approval of her statement. "His job is his everything. I'd have thought he'd wanted to be back to solving puzzles by now," he voiced his thoughts, worry shining through in his tone. He loved Reid like his brother and couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Do you think he wants to quit?" Garcia piped up. She twisted her flower pen between her fingers and looked around at her team members. "I couldn't stand losing our Boy Genius," she admitted. Lately they hadn't been spending that much time together, but everybody knew they had quite a tight bond. Reid was getting used to her banter and understood sarcasm better now. She even convinced him to tell regular jokes, instead of the ones only he seemed to understand.

Even Hotch's face held more than the regular concern. Their team leader was very fond of their resident genius, even though he wouldn't admit is. He only admitted to Reid being a very 'valuable' member of their team. But then again, that's what he called all of them. "If that's what he wants there's nothing we can do to stop him," he said, looking around to see slight shock on the faces of his subordinates. "Morgan, you have tried calling him right?"

Morgan let out a long deep sigh, "God knows I've been trying to get a hold of the kid Hotch, but he's not picking up."

"He hasn't been reacting to my phone calls either," Rossi said and looked at JJ. "What about you?"

JJ shrugged, "I tried once, he didn't pick up. I figured he just needed time to think and to try and leave this all behind," she said. Just a few months ago, when Reid had started talking to Maeve, Garcia told her that he'd had a crush on her for years but never dared to act on it after their doom date. Garcia explained that ever since she'd gotten together with Will, Reid has tried to keep his distance. "I'm not sure if he'd want to talk to me," she said. "We don't have such a great history together."

This sparked a look of confusion in Blake's eyes. "Why not?" She asked.

JJ smiled politely, "A story for another time."

Hotch cleared his throat. "JJ, still I think it's best if you try to talk to him. Call him, text him, go to his apartment, anything to get him to talk to you. We need to know if and when he's coming back and I think you'd get the most out of him," he said and left the conference room, indicating that that was the end of it.

* * *

_Dear mom, _

_I am sorry I haven't written to you in a few days, but truth is, I'm not quite sure what to tell you. Remember how you always told me that losing people always had a reason. I have been trying to find reason within this for days now, but it's not there. _

_We caught another bad guy a few days ago, a woman this time. She was a stalker, wanted to take on somebody else's life. Maeve's. I don't think I have told you about her before. She was a geneticist mom, she was very smart. We have talked over the phone and written letters to each other. Two weeks ago was the first time I met her, at the end of a gun. I loved her and I wanted to tell her, but I never had the chance. _

_You told me that we lost people for a reason, to make room for other important people in her life. She was the first woman I ever really loved, how could there be another? _

_Mom, I think I will be coming to Las Vegas soon. I will visit you._

_Love, _

_Spencer_

Reid took a last look at the letter. It was shorter than the usual ones he wrote to his mother, but this time he couldn't find the energy to write more. Besides, there was nothing more to write. He was empty, the events two weeks prior had drained him of his last reserves.

All he had been doing the past days was shuffle from his bed to the couch and back. His eyes had dark circles around them, his hair was a mess and he was pretty sure he had a bad stench lingering around him. He didn't care. His life had nearly ended two weeks ago, together with her. What was he supposed to do, go on as if nothing had happened?

He was wallowing again when he heard a knock on the door. He didn't get up, whoever it was would think he wasn't home and go away. Wrong. The sound of the knocking increased, as well as the length of them. "Spence, I know you're here, please open the door," a familiar voice begged at the other side of the wood. There was only one person who called him Spence.

He shuffled towards the door and opened it slowly, squinting at the bright light. "JJ, what are you doing here?"

JJ pushed past him, into his small apartment. "God Spence, it smells awful in here."

Reid merely shrugged and let himself fall back on the couch. "What are you doing here?"

"Strauss has been asking questions about your return, so Hotch asked me to come and talk to you," JJ said gently, going into the tiny kitchenette to grab two glasses of water. She set them down on the coasters on his table. "How are you Spence?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he replied and took a sip of water.

"Well then don't talk, wait until you're ready. But just know, your job won't wait forever Spence, we'd hate to lose you," she said gently and took a sip as well. "You know what," she started and looked around the apartment. "Why don't you get freshened up and I do some tidying around here. Then when we're done, I'm going to take you out to lunch because you look like you haven't eaten in days."

Reid let out a small groan and wanted to protest, but decided against it. It was time to go outside again, who knew, maybe it would help him a bit. He got up and slowly went towards the bathroom, looking over his shoulder. "Don't throw anything away," he warned her before retreating.

"I wouldn't dare," JJ replied with a small smile. She let out a deep sigh, her hands in her sides as she took in the apartment. There were books and clipped articles everywhere. Dishes were stacked up in the kitchenette and it smelled like the windows hadn't been opened in years. The first thing she did was open the curtains and windows.

Quickly she started gathering all the books and stacked them in neat piles, putting the newspaper clippings in a separate folder. Just when she was about to finish the dishes, Spencer came walking back into the room, clean, shaven and looking slightly better. "Here, you finish this and I'll vacuum real quick."

While she was doing so, her eye fell on a letter on the dinner table. She read it slowly, a sad feeling overwhelming her. _You really loved her, didn't you?_ She finished vacuuming and gathered their coats. "Okay Spence, let's go," she said and ushered him out of the apartment. "You and I are going to have fun together at least once a week and when you're ready to talk, we talk."

Reid furrowed his brows and looked at her. "JJ…" he started.

"No Spence, we need to get you moving on and fun is the best way to do it. No ifs and buts about it," she said firmly.

"Alright, I surrender," Reis said, a tiny smile finding its way to his face.

"Good," JJ smiled, "Now let's go eat."

* * *

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews. It means a lot to hear from all of you, kind of confirms to me I'm on the right way. I think something might need a little bit of clearing up (thanks KingSoraX) Reid used have a crush on JJ, not on Garcia. Garcia was the one to tell JJ he had the crush.

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

_You took my heart,  
Deceived me right from the start  
You showed me dreams,  
I wished they'd turn into real  
You broke the promise  
And made me realize  
It was all just a lie_

_- Angels by Within Temptation_

"So, what are you in the mood for?" JJ asked as they slid inside the SUV. When Reid didn't answer she started with some suggestions. "Maybe a burger, pizza, sandwiches, pancakes… Oh, scratch the latter. I've had way too many of those with Henry," she smiled.

This sparked a small smile. "Honestly JJ, I don't care. I'm not that hungry actually," he said and looked out of the passenger window. He watched the buildings passing by and couldn't help but be sucked into his world of memories again. All he could see was the look in Maeve's eyes when he told her he didn't love her. She knew what he was trying to do. She knew he did love her.

"Spence, you have to eat something. I'm taking you somewhere you've probably never been before," she said as she drove to a small restaurant on Potomac Ave.

Reid furrowed his brows as he looked at the name of the restaurant. "Tokyo? You do remember I always get in fights with chopsticks right?"

"We'll ask them to give you the kid's version," JJ teased as they walked into the restaurant for a full sushi lunch. "You know what, I'll join you with those, haven't been able to practice my chopstick skills lately. I've missed going out with the team, just all of us together, including you," she started, trying to get him to join her one-sided conversation.

"I don't know if I can go back JJ, I made a monumental mistake that evening," Reid said sadly, pushing the pieces of ngiri around on his plate.

JJ shot him a sympathetic look, "You didn't, we couldn't have known she was going to do this. I think your original idea of a trade was pretty smart, even though I didn't want you to do it." She blushed just slightly as she took a bit of her tuna maki. Her heart ached for the younger man on the other side of the table.

"If I'd figured out who she was earlier, if I…" Reid started.

"No ifs Spence, I'm sorry, but it's not going to do you any good if you start beating yourself up over something you had no control over in the first place," JJ lectured. "I uhm… You really loved her, didn't you?" She asked carefully, thinking about the words she'd read in his letter to his mother.

Reid frowned at her sudden question, "If this is what it feels to be heartbroken I never want to love someone ever again," he replied matter-of-factly. "I know love is just a chemical reaction in the brain, but this feels like a literal heartbreak," he spoke slowly.

JJ reached out a hand to grab his, but he pulled away. "I know it's not much consolidation right now, but it will get better eventually, trust me."

"How could it? I allowed myself to get involved in something so… non-scientific and look what it got me?" He said, pushing the tamago ngiri even further from his plate. "Look JJ, I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, I really do, but I don't think it's going to help."

JJ smiled sadly, "I know Spence, but it was either me or Morgan, who would've taken you to a strip club," she attempted to joke and chuckled slightly when she saw a soft smile appear on Reid's face.

Reid grinned a little bit, "How is everybody doing?" He asked.

"Missing you," JJ started and at Reid's frown she added, "honestly. We do miss you a lot and we can't wait to have you back on the team. Not in the least because they suck on making geographical profiles," she said.

"Well that would be true," Reid smiled gently as he took a small bite from his salmon teriyaki. "You know, this restaurant was a good idea JJ, thank you. Didn't realize I was hungry until just now…" he paused for a moment. "Have you ever had your heart broken before?"

JJ wasn't sure how to respond to that. Of course she had felt heartbroken at times, but she had never lost someone she loved this horrific way. "I have Spence, but it doesn't compare to what you have been through. Please don't underestimate the time it is going to take to heal."

Reid smiled sadly and nodded, "I figured. So uhm… when does Hotch want to know when… or rather, if I'll be coming back?"

"Well Strauss rather than Hotch, but they've given you about a week more to think about it," JJ said. "Please tell me it's then when, not the if," she pleaded.

"I don't know JJ… I might have to try something completely different. Might go back to school, earn another degree," he pondered.

JJ smiled gently, "Even though that sounds like a great thing, I still think we need you back. No wait, I don't think, I know we need you back Spence. You see things the others don't, and I can't imagine how our solve rate would drop without you there," she said. "But of course it's about you, not about the team."

"I'll think about it JJ," Reid replied gently.

"Say you're coming back please?" JJ inquired.

"I'll think about," Reid repeated.

* * *

After she had dropped Reid off at his apartment JJ drove back to the office, finding Garcia in her room. "Pen…" She said and plopped down in the chair next to Garcia.

Garcia turned around in her desk chair, "Hey sweetie, how's our non-resident genius doing?"

JJ let out a long and deep sigh, "I don't know Penelope, honestly. I've never seen or heard him like this. It seems like he blames himself for what has happened and there is no way you are going to get that out of his mind," she explained. "I think he connects people leaving, in any kind of way, to him being at fault."

Garcia nodded and took JJ's hands in hers. "We will get him back, don't you worry your pretty little head. He can't live without us, he'll realize that soon enough… right?" She said, more to convince herself than anyone else. "Do you uhm… do you want me to try and talk to him?"

"I think it's just best to let him be for now, but I think it might be a good idea for us all to alternate visiting him," JJ admitted. "Maybe you could take him somewhere?"

"Well, there is this tiny movie theater, I know some people there. Might be able to get them to play something he likes, does that work?" Garcia asked.

JJ nodded with a smile, "I think that sounds perfect. You arrange that and talk to him. I have to go and pick up Henry," she said. "See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow girlfriend," Garcia replied, giving JJ a hug and a wave as she left the office.

* * *

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Let me start by saying how stupid I feel. Of course JJ has been through a great loss and I forgot it while writing the last chapter. Forgive me? Furthermore, I want to thank all of you who are reading, I'm hoping I can keep satisfying you.

Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I've been busy finishing my dissertation and final teaching practice. I should be a teacher of English by February. Excitement!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_If I die tomorrow  
I'd be alright  
Because I believe  
That after we're gone  
The spirit carries on_

_- The Spirit Carries On by Dreamtheater_

The shrill noise of his cell phone ringing on the nightstand woke him from a restless slumber. He let out a small groan as he covered his eyes with one hand, turning away from the sunlight finding its way through a small opening in the curtains. He felt around on his nightstand, his fingers enveloping his cell phone. He flipped it open and held it against his ear, "Yeah?" He muttered.

"If that isn't the not so lovely voice of my favorite genius," Garcia chattered happily. "How are you doing?"

Reid let out another small groan as he tried to sit a bit more upright. "Garcia, what time is it?" He rubbed his eyes with his right hand, reaching for the glass of water on his nightstand. He'd never understood why people would turn to alcohol, but he was beginning to. Water just didn't seem to do the trick, he wanted something to forget all about what happened. He wanted… No, no he did not want that, or did he?

It was silent for a moment on the other side of the line. "Reid, it's almost noon, aren't you up yet?" Garcia worried for her friend. This was so unlike him, JJ had told her that he was having a bad time, but she hadn't thought it would hit him as hard as it had. "I was planning to catch a movie with you, just the two of us. I know this guy at the movie theater who…" she went on.

"Garcia, as much as I appreciate you all trying to cheer me up, I don't think it's going to work," Reid confessed, rolling back onto his side, pulling the covers over himself to block out the light. "I'm just… gonna stay here and…"

"Pity yourself? No, genius, that's not what you are going to do. I want to get off your ass. What did Hotch do when Hayley passed, did he sulk like little boy? No, so why should you?" Garcia spoke, starting to get a little upset with him. She hated hearing her friend like this and she couldn't stand not being able to help him through his rough patch. "I'm coming over, be ready in twenty," she said and hung up before he had a chance to say anything.

Reid stumbled from his bed, clad in only his jogging pants and an old Cal-Tech shirt. He shuffled towards the kitchen, turned on the coffee machine and watched the dark liquid drop down. He shivered at the cold in his apartment and looked around. It did look a lot better since JJ had cleaned up for him. Once the coffee was he grabbed a large mug with the words 'best godfather'. He smiled as he remembered the little boy that gave it to him on his birthday. He took a sip and let his eye fall on the letter to his mother on the dinner table. Panic overwhelmed him, had JJ read the letter? He took the letter, folded it and put it in an envelope; he'd have to mail it today.

* * *

Exactly twenty minutes after Garcia's call he heard a knock on the front door. He opened it and allowed her to take him in her arms. "Gosh you're too thin," she commented, showing him the grocery bag and looking around the apartment. "Where's your kitchen dear?" She asked. When he pointed she strutted in and started putting the groceries on the counter. "I figured you could put on some weight so I decided to give you a proper lunch before we head out and get drunk."

At Reid's protest she grinned, "Just kidding Reid, I wouldn't never try to get you drunk on purpose," she said and started rummaging through his kitchen. She grabbed a frying pan and broke two eggs above it.

Reid had to admit, a few minutes later his apartment smelled wonderful. There were the scrambled eggs, there was bacon, and there were tomatoes with mushrooms. All in all it seemed almost like a traditional English breakfast. He took a plate as Garcia handed it to him and sat down at the dining table, opposite of her. "Thank you Garcia, this looks wonderful," he said politely, not daring to admit that he still didn't feel like he could eat.

"So speak up my gentle genius," Garcia stated, sitting down with her elbows on the table, chin rested in her hands. "I'm not going to let you spend this lunch in silence so you might as well spring it all on me," she said, giving him a gentle and encouraging smile.

Reid took a small bite first, complimenting her on her cooking skills. He realized she wasn't going to let him off the hook easily. He cleared his throat and looked down at his plate. "I can't help but feeling that I've failed Garcia," he started, "failed her, failed the team, failed _myself_," he emphasized the latter. "I should've known something was not right when I went in there, I should've realized I would never be able to pull of pretending to love Diana," he spat out her name in disgust. "I will never be able to forgive myself to put her at such a risk," he finished, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

Garcia stood up and squatted down beside him, her hand on his back. "Honey, there was no way you could've known that, no way, do you hear me?" She asked, rubbing his back as he allowed more tears to fall. "If you hadn't gone in there, maybe it wouldn't have happened like this, but I doubt she would've walked out of there alive either way," Garcia said, "sorry."

Reid let out a shaky sigh and nodded a little bit to himself, "Maybe you're right, who knows. But how can I go back?" He asked, more to himself than to her. "What if I keep putting people at risk?"

For a minute Garcia didn't answer him, she just kept rubbing circles on his back while he cried. "Okay, hear me out. I know you're a genius and all, and focused on evidence and physics and whatever, but there is something I strongly believe in," she started, waiting until she had Reid's undivided attention. "I believe that the spirit doesn't dissolve, I believe it carries on. I wondered for a long time what happens when someone dies, and I've never found a satisfying answer. Now I believe that when we die, our spirits are still around you know, sometimes you can feel them, haven't you felt her presence?"

At the shake of his head Garcia smiled a little bit, she knew her friend was too down to earth for this one. "You don't have to believe it, but just… I don't know, try to convince yourself that she cares about you and she wants you to be happy sweetie," she sat and stood up with a small moan. "Ouch, momma is getting too old to squat," she said, hoping to lighten the mood.

This formed a small grin on Reid's face as he took another bite, after swallowing the lump in his throat. "Thank you Garcia, for… well, food, talking," he said, blushing a little bit at admitting to needing someone. "So I'm guessing you're wanting me out of the apartment as well?" He asked.

Garcia grinned widely and nodded, "Yes, like I told you I know this guy and I've planned a very special marathon at a small movie theater," she said, awaiting his reaction. When none came she explained herself a bit further, "we can watch Dr Who episodes for a few hours, just us, unless… you'd like to invite more of the team?" She asked; it was a Saturday after all.

Reid smiled, "That's… very thoughtful," he replied and took another bite. "I don't know who else would be interested in watching Dr Who though," he smiled sheepishly.

"Well, you never know. Why don't I go call them, and you finish your plate?" She said, stepping out of the room to make a few phone calls.

With a small smile Reid tried to finish the plate of food in front of him and thought about the afternoon they had ahead of them. He couldn't begin to thank the people around him for trying to get him through this. It would be a long journey, he knew that, but for the first time he felt a bit of confidence that he would get through this, all in due time.

* * *

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I had to smile at the last episode, the team coming to clean at Reid's apartment came pretty close to this story (JJ putting away his books). Anyway, I want to thank you all for reviewing, marking the story (or me) as favorite and following me and the story! On with chapter 4. Sorry for it being short, but I wanted to get something up for you.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_Hide my head  
I wanna drown my sorrow  
No tomorrow  
No tomorrow  
And I find it kinda funny  
I find it kinda sad  
The dreams in which I'm dying  
Are the best I've ever had  
- Mad World by Gary Jules_

"Guys thank you so much for coming with us," Garcia smiled as she hugged Morgan and JJ. She nudged Reid to do the same and winked at JJ when he did. "So uhm, favorite genius of mine, what do you say to a drink and a ride back home?"

Reid nodded shortly, "Just the one Garcia, I'd kind of like to go home soon," he said and almost immediately felt guilty. But today felt strange, maybe in wrong on a few fronts. At the movie theater he'd sat between Garcia and JJ and at one time JJ had even grabbed his hand to give it a gentle squeeze. Even though he'd appreciated the gesture, and knew she was just letting him know she was right there, he still wanted to jerk his hand away. It should've been Maeve and him at the movies, holding hands and sharing popcorn.

JJ gave him another hug and a kiss on his cheek, "I would've loved to come with you, but I promised Will I'd be home in time for dinner," she said.

"But Jayje, just one could technically still be in time for dinner right?" Garcia grinned and gave her a small pout, trying to look at her good friend with puppy eyes.

"I'll join ya momma, if that's any consolation," Morgan commented as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Let JJ go if she wants to, it's not about her remember?" He whispered the last part so Reid wouldn't hear.

* * *

The next morning Reid woke up with a terrible headache. Somehow both Morgan and Garcia had gotten him to drink more alcohol than he normally would've done. They'd dropped him off at about midnight, after feeding him the burger he'd been craving after drinking this much alcohol. With a groan he rolled onto his side, his head pounding. He went to the kitchen and filled up a large glass of water, not wanting to use any painkillers to battle his headache. He'd just wait it out. As he took a large sip he thought back on the previous day and night. He'd enjoyed spending time with his friends, watching Dr Who in the small movie theater. Suddenly he felt another pang of guilt hit him. All the things he was doing with his friends now, he should've done with her.

He finished his glass of water and slowly rolled back onto his side on the bed. He took the book Maeve had given him from the nightstand and opened it. While running his fingers over her handwriting on the first page his vision blurred. He swallowed the lump in his throat and let out a small sob, "God, Maeve," he choked, allowing the tears to spill onto his cheeks.

* * *

On the other side of town JJ woke up with a headache as well. She took in the surroundings of her own living room, stretching her aching muscles. She must've passed out on the couch last night. The empty bottle of booze and the glass on the table were the only evidence left, besides her headache, that she'd had a terrible night.

"_Cher," Will started as she entered the front door, giving her a peck on her lips, "I put some spaghetti for you in the oven… I have to go into work," he said, smiling sadly at her as he wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry."_

_JJ nodded, gave him a kiss back and wished him good luck at work. She went to check on Henry quickly, seeing him asleep in his 'big boy' bed. She smiled as she leaned against the doorframe, watching her son contently. After a few minutes had passed she gently closed the door and went back downstairs, heating up the spaghetti Will had cooked. _

_She sat down at the table, looking through some case files. As she absentmindedly took a bite she heard Will's phone vibrate on the coffee table. Frowning at her husband forgetting his phone, she went over to see if it was him using a coworker's phone. The text read: 'Babe, are you on your way?'_

_JJ wasn't sure what to do. She tried to shake the bad feeling creeping up on her. Will couldn't be… could he? Maybe this was Will texting if she'd be coming to bring him his phone. No. He'd never let her leave Henry home alone at night and he wouldn't want her to wake him up for it. 'I guess there's only one thing to do to find out' JJ thought to herself as she took the phone in her hands. She texted: 'Am on my way, see you soon'. _

_Within a minute she received a reaction: 'I'm in our usual room, can't wait'. _

_JJ felt a pang in her chest. So he was… cheating on her. She could feel her body tense, a shiver running down her spine. Her appetite was gone. She needed a drink. _

"Henry!" JJ whispered to herself as she looked around the room. Her little boy shouldn't see this. Gathering the bottle and the glass JJ quickly went to clean up. She threw away the spaghetti that had gone cold on the dinner table and threw the bottle of booze away. She ran a shaky hand over her face. How was she going to solve this?

After cleaning up everything and taking a Tylenol for her headache, JJ went towards Henry room. She needed to be close with him; they had to be strong together. She wanted whatever was going to come, not to be a burden on Henry. She laid herself down next to her son, running a hand through his blonde hair. She kissed the back of his hand and smiled through her tears as she felt him wake up.

Henry turned in her arms, "Why you crying mommy?" He asked, truly flabbergasted by JJ's tears.

"They're happy tears baby," JJ lied, "They show how much I love you."

Henry nodded, satisfied with the answer for now. "Kay," he replied as he snuggled up against her."

"I love you so much baby," JJ whispered, praying at the same time. 'Please God, help me keep my little boy away from all this pain'. She let a last tear escape her eye, being strong for Henry started now.

* * *

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, it means a lot to hear from you. I received one review of someone who wasn't sure if Will would cheat on JJ. I just want to point out that I feel there's no real passion in their relationship and I wanted to take the story in another direction. A lot of writers have the relationship break up because JJ spends a lot of time with Reid, and I wanted to do it slightly different, so there's that. Enjoy chapter 5!

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

_I'm so tired of being here, suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave  
Your presence still lingers here and it won't leave me alone  
These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real_  
_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_- My Immortal by Evanescence_

He could hear the church bells and the cheers from his friends as he walked. The bright sunlight shone through the large wooden doors. A large smile graced his face as he clasped her hand tighter in his. He turned to look at his wife, the smile quickly fading from his face. He released her hand, only to run it over her cheek. "Maeve!" He brushed the blood away from her temple, holding her as she collapsed on the stone floor of the chapel.

With a large gasp Reid opened his eyes, sitting upright in his bed. He looked around, slightly disoriented. He had been having different versions of the dream for weeks on end now. One even more gruesome than the other. He ran the back of his hand over his forehead and kicked the covers off his body. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to take this. Part of him wanted to stay and take his time to grieve, that much he owed her. But deep down, another part of him wanted to go back to work, make his brain work again to keep his thoughts on something else.

He looked at the alarm clock on his nightstand, seeing it was still quite early in the morning. Deciding he would drink some coffee first, he slowly got up from the bed and shuffled into the bathroom. He started the hot water of the shower and looked at his image in the bathroom mirror. His hair was tousled and he had a stubble. With a sigh he picked up the razor and the shaving cream and stepped under the hot stream. Minutes later he was all cleaned up.

After grabbing mug of hot coffee he picked up his phone, dialing the familiar number. "Hey it's me. Yeah, fine I guess. Listen, I uhm… I think I'd like to come back now," he told Hotchner. His boss reminded him that he still had a few days to think about it, but he was happy to hear that his young profiler wanted to come back to the unit. "Thank you," Reid said and put the phone back on the horn.

* * *

When Garcia watched JJ walk into work that morning, a worried frown formed upon her face. She could see in her friend's stride that something was up, something was wrong. "Hey Jayje, do you have a minute?" She asked, jogging up behind JJ, her heels clicking on the floor.

JJ frowned, her eyes slightly red. She wanted to object but eventually gave in, nodding to Garcia. "I'll meet you in your office in a few alright?" She said.

As usual JJ was true to her word. She closed the door behind her as she walked into Garcia's abode. She let herself fall down in a chair and took a minute to compose herself. She appreciated that Garcia wasn't all over her from the start. Granted she could be like that, but she wasn't a very good friend without a reason.

JJ ran her hands over her face and released a deep sigh. "I uhm… Henry might need to stay at your place for a couple of days," she started. When Garcia wanted to say something JJ stopped her by holding up her hand. "I have a feeling Will is cheating on me, and I don't want my baby boy to be around to hear our fights," she explained.

Garcia sat stunned, from one of her friends going through a rough patch, she just went to two. "Oh Jayje," she whispered and scooted closer to her friend, taking her in her arms. "I'd love to take Henry for a few days sweetie, don't you worry your pretty little head. Did you uhm… confront him?"

JJ shook her head, "Not yet no, I'm trying to figure out how to start the conversation," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not the confrontational type, even though I know I have to be right now," she added and let out another sigh. "It's a mess Penelope," she admitted.

Garcia didn't know what to tell her friend, of course she had seen that JJ and Will were drifting apart and something was bound to happen. She had just thought that they would separate as friends, when Henry would be old enough. Will cheating on JJ had never crossed her mind, and it fueled her anger inside. "If you want me to talk to him sweet pea…" she started.

"No, no please Pen don't, I have to handle this myself," she said and got up from the chair. "Could you keep this to yourself for now?" She asked, knowing it was difficult for Garcia to keep secrets. When she saw her friend nod, she smiled slightly. "Thank you hun," she said.

* * *

That evening after dropping off Henry at Garcia's place, JJ waited for Will on the couch in the living room. When she heard the key turn in the lock she took a shaky breath, stretching her fingers and making fists again.

"Cher, Henry?" Will called out from the hallway, before making his way inside. When he spotted JJ on the couch in a quiet house, he frowned. "Jennifer?" He asked, sitting down next to her, "where's Henry?"

JJ took a deep breath, looking at her husband, "He's at Penelope's for a few days," she whispered. "He shouldn't be around for this."

"Around for what? What's going on cher?" Will asked, frowning.

Pondering for a moment what her next step was going to be, JJ stood up from the couch, pacing through the living room. "I read a text message last night when you forgot your phone," she admitted, figuring that the truth and the facts would be the right way to go for now. Part of her wanted to yell at him, throw things at him and kick him out of the house, but for Henry's sake she was going to try and keep this civilized. "How long has it been going on Will?" She asked.

She could see Will contemplating his answer, before settling on the truth, "I've been seeing Emma for about three months now," he said, looking down at his hands and then back up at a pacing JJ. "Cher, please sit down?"

JJ sat down hesitantly, "Just her?" She asked, wanting to know if this had been going on before.

Will nodded, "I'm sorry Jennifer, but we both know things between us haven't been especially passionate," he said. "We spend a lot of time at our jobs and outside that you spend quite some time with Spencer," he added.

JJ wanted to defend herself for her friendship with Reid and him being the godfather of their son, but Will stopped her. He explained her that it was all fine by him, but that the time they spent together was limited. He admitted that he had felt slightly jealous at one point, but that he understood that things had never been passionate between them.

"Will, I'm sorry," she said, truly meaning it. She took his hand in hers, eyes threatening to fall down. "I guess we're more like brother and sister huh?" She asked, a small smile shining through. At Will's nod, she asked: "What are we going to tell Henry?"

Will looked down at his hands, "I don't want to hurt him," he started, "but I think we have to try and tell him that daddy is going to live somewhere else now. I would love to go back to New Orleans, you know? But I want to stay close for Henry, if you're alright with that."

JJ nodded, running her thumb over the top of his hand, "I would like that," she said. "And uhm… do you think things with you and… Emma are going anywhere serious?"

Will didn't dare to look up at her, "I don't know cher, and I feel awful for what I did to you, for… hurting you, truly. But I guess this is just mostly a large wake-up call that we can't keep fooling ourselves. I know we promised each other something when we exchanged these rings, but I think it'll be better for Henry this way. He needs to see a mother and a father that love each other, and we can't show him that."

JJ released his hand, "You're right, it will take some time to figure this out though."

Will nodded in understanding, "I'll go crash at a friend's place tonight, to give you some space," he said, kissing her cheek. "I'll be by tomorrow and then we can discuss what we're going to do," he finished.

JJ watched Will gather some of his stuff and heard how the door fell in the lock behind him. She let out a shaky breath, looking around her living room for a few seconds. Suddenly her eyes widened. She rushed to grab her phone and dialed the number she had dialed quite often in the past days.

* * *

Reid heard his phone ring and got up from the couch, wondering if it might be JJ telling him she would be a little bit later for their take out and movies. "Reid," he said as he picked up his phone.

When he heard JJ explain that she wasn't going to be able to come over he felt a small tinge of disappointment inside of him. He didn't have time to think about it because he'd already blurted out the next. "I could take the take out and movies to your place," he offered. "Okay, great. I'll see you in about twenty minutes then. Yeah. Okay, bye."

* * *

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you so much to all of you who are still reading. As usual it means a lot to me to hear from you. I was struggling slightly with this chapter, it's not entirely to my liking, but it was the best I could do for now…

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_I see me in your eyes  
And I'm tears you cry  
And when you fall apart  
And I'm dying from a broken heart  
I'm there too_

_I'm there too by Michelle Featherstone_

When JJ opened the door Reid could immediately see something had happened. Her eyes showed just a little hint of redness, and her smile didn't seem to be a genuine one. He followed her to the living room, take-out menus in his hand. It was quiet around the house, he noticed as he looked around. "Where are Will and Henry?" He asked JJ as he sat down on the couch next to her.

"Oh, Will took Henry for dinner at Pizza Hut," JJ said, grabbing the take-out menu that was on top. "So what are you in the mood for?" She asked, leaving through the menu without actually seeing anything.

Reid didn't reply, but instead looked at his friend. "JJ, where are they really?" He enquired, feeling there was something she was holding back from him. He had a bad feeling about the cause of her sadness. When she didn't reply he placed his hand on her arm, to make her turn to him. When she did he could see a tear in the corner of her eye.

"Henry is staying at Penelope's," she started and swallowed the lump in her throat, "and Will is staying at a friend's place."

"Are you…?" Reid started.

"Yeah, we are breaking up," JJ whispered, a tear trickling down her cheek. "It's no biggie Spence, let's order some take-out and find a movie to watch," she said, wiping the tear away from her face. She was the one supposed to comfort him, not the other way around.

Reid shook his head, "JJ, this is not just about me, okay? If there is something upsetting you then I want to be here for you, no matter what state I'm in," Reid said. He didn't quite sure the proper way to comfort her, but he could see that him rubbing her arm was helping just slightly.

JJ took a deep breath, "Last night when Will was supposedly going into work he forgot his cell phone," she started, "he received a text message, so I thought it was him texting me that he'd forgotten his phone and to ask me if I could bring it to him. So then I read the message and it was from a woman," she continued, wiping another tear from her cheek. "When he came back I… confronted him, sort of, and he admitted."

"What about Henry?" Reid asked, one of his first thoughts being his godson.

"I had already brought him to Penelope, he shouldn't be around for fights. So then… we agreed that things didn't work anymore for us. He went to stay with his friend and he's coming over tomorrow to talk," JJ finished explaining, letting a shaky breath escape. "Spence, what should I do?"

For once in his life Reid's mind was baffled, first of all because he couldn't imagine someone cheating when they had JJ and Henry waiting at home for them, and second of all because he didn't know what JJ could do. He looked at her and could see how more tears threatened to fall. Without any further thought he pulled her into his arms, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

JJ allowed her tears to fall freely, clinging to her friend for dear life. She sniffled and hiccupped a little bit when she wanted to speak, "What about Henry?" she asked, "how can I take his father away from him?" She pulled back, panicking slightly at the thought of her son having to miss his dad around.

"JJ, I think Henry would rather have just his mother who is happy, than both of his parents who are constantly fighting," Reid said gently, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Look at me," he said, attempting to joke, "I had just my mother, well, on some days, and look how I turned out," he chuckled slightly. "Granted I'm not perfect, but I manage," he said and smiled when he saw a smile on JJ's face.

"Spence, you're wonderful, don't ever doubt that," JJ said gently and gave him a hug. "Thank you," she whispered and gave his cheek a kiss. "So, about dinner, I am definitely craving Chinese," she said, grabbing the menu.

"Fine by me," Reid replied, "as long as I can use a fork instead of chopsticks."

JJ chuckled, "Really Spence, it's not that hard. I'll teach you."

Reid smiled a bit, "I just don't understand why people would prefer those over spoons and forks."

"Well, chopsticks are over 5,000 years old," JJ said and chuckled at the look on his face. "What? You're not the only one allowed to share little known facts about different subjects," she grinned.

"I'm just surprised, that's all," Reid replied with a small smile, "But did you know that the average Chinese chopstick is an inch longer than the Japanese one? And did you know there's another difference? Chinese chopsticks are referred to as kuai-zi, quick little fellows. They're rectangular in shape and have a blunt end, while Japanese chopsticks are more rounded and have a tapered point. By the way, Japanese chopsticks didn't use to break apart, they were used as some sort of tweezers."

"Japanese instead of Chinese then?" JJ said as she took the Japanese take-out menu.

"No Chinese is fine, just with a fork and spoon," Reid shrugged.

While Reid ordered their food, JJ went into the kitchen to grab plates and utensils for Reid. Upon opening the fridge, she found a bottle of wine, wondering for a moment if Reid would drink. She took the bottle and two wineglasses and walked back into the living room, hearing how Reid told the restaurant her address. "Can I pour you a glass?" JJ asked, holding up the bottle.

Reid looked at the label and then smiled, "As long as you promise not to get me as drunk as Morgan and Garca did," he said and nodded, "I'd love some."

JJ's eyes widened, "They got you drunk?" She asked, clasping a hand over her mouth to try and control her laughter.

Reid blushed, "It wasn't one of my proudest moments," he admitted and took the glass of red wine from JJ. "Thank you," he said, "the food should be here in about forty minutes."

JJ nodded, "Sounds good. So uhm… how much did you drink?"

"Not that much to be honest, but I almost never drink," he said as a ways of explanation. He took a sip of wine and looked at the glass, "This is great JJ," he said.

"I know," she replied and took a sip herself.

When their food arrived one bottle later, they were laughing and joking around. JJ smiled at how easily Reid loosened up after just a little bit of alcohol. She was glad to hear him laugh again after everything that happened. Because of his laughing, she could leave the events of the past day behind her for a while. Now was not the time to worry about her conversation with Will tomorrow. All that counted now was her having fun with her best friend.

JJ emptied a carton of chicken noodles on the plate and grabbed the chopsticks. She took Reid's right hand and placed the chopsticks between his fingers. With her own hand guiding him she helped him pick up a piece of chicken. She released his hand so he could bring it to his mouth and burst out laughing when it fell down on his lap.

"JJ, I appreciate this, really I do, but I am going to grab a fork now," Reid said, putting the chopsticks back on the table.

They finished their meal in silence, did the dishes together and cleaned up the living room. Reid looked at his watch, "I better get going," he said.

JJ shook her head, "I'm not letting you drive after drinking," she said. "You can take the guestroom."

Reid wanted to object and tell her he could cal a cab, but when he saw JJ's face he didn't dare to. He allowed her to pour him another glass and settled back on the couch next to her. "Are you okay?" He asked, looking sideways at her.

"Definitely better, but still nervous about how everything is going to work out," JJ admitted as she took the remote control, switching on the TV. She flipped the channels until she reached a documentary she figured Reid would find interesting.

They watched and drank together, finishing another two bottles of wine. JJ looked at the clock and then at Reid, "I'm going to head to bed," she whispered, leaning closer to him. She licked her lips subconsciously, alcohol fogging her brain and taking away her inhibitions. Before she knew it she pressed her lips against his.

* * *

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Please don't shoot me! I wanted to shake things up a little bit. Thank you to everybody again. Hope this doesn't disappoint!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_You come to my senses  
Every time I close my eyes  
I have no defenses  
You come to my senses  
I can't stop this ache inside  
I have no defenses  
You come to my senses_

_- You come to my senses by Chicago_

Oh my God, what have I done? JJ thought to herself as she twisted and turned in her bed. She had just made things worse than they were before and there was no way to ever take it back. She pushed the covers away from her body, got up and made a trip to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, ashamed of what she'd just done. After splashing water on her face she shuffled back to the living room, the bottles on the table evidence of what had happened. She took her cell phone and dialed Reid's number, only to be put through to voicemail. She took a deep breath, she needed to apologize. "Spence… I know you're listening, please pick up," she said. "I'm sorry for what I did, I should've never done that, it's a huge mistake. I… Spence please, talk to me…" She pleaded and waited for a while before hanging up. She thought back to the night before.

* * *

A few miles away Reid was lying on the couch, Maeve's book clutched to his chest. He could hear JJ's voice filling the room, but somehow couldn't bring himself to pick up nor to turn off the machine. He let out a deep sigh, remembering that night's events.

_Reid's eyes widened as he gently pushed JJ away. He tried to look into her eyes, to see if he could figure out why she'd done what she did. "JJ, what are you doing?" He asked. He was in shock, but she was still his friend, he needed to be careful with what he said. _

"_Spence I…" JJ started but couldn't figure out what to say. Spending the evening with him, with alcohol in her system, stirred some old feelings within her. She knew he used to have a crush on her, and secretly she had had a crush on him as well. But then Will came along, she got Henry and her feelings for Reid had to be buried. She figured that with Maeve in his life his feelings for her were gone as well. _

"_I uhm… I need to go home JJ. I'll call a cab, I'll see you later," Reid said and got up, grabbing his belongings and heading out the door. _

Reid let out another deep sigh as he heard how JJ hung up the phone. He could understand that what happened, happened because of the alcohol in JJ's blood. He wasn't truly bothered by what she had done, but he was angry at himself for feeling things he hadn't felt in a long time. He had had a crush on her for such a long time, but when she was with Will he gladly took the place of best friend. But now that she would be available again, his feelings were resurfacing. It wasn't fair to Maeve.

* * *

That following morning Reid walked into the bullpen at Quantico, making sure he was one of the first ones to arrive so he wouldn't be smothered by his friends. He walked over to his desk, to see if there were any consultations for him to work on. When he found the desk empty he frowned.

"Reid, my man!" He heard Morgan call out from the doorway. He gave his friend a small smile and allowed himself to be bro-hugged.

"How are you?" Morgan asked gently, his face holding concern for his friend. He hadn't expected to see Reid back already if he was honest to himself, maybe not even at all.

Reid shrugged slightly, "Guess it's not gonna get better than this for some time," he said, not wanting to talk about it too much. Truth was, he was doing much better than before, and he knew exactly whose doing that was. "So uhm… do you have some cases I could consult on?" He asked nonchalantly. When Morgan raised his brow, he smiled, "Don't think I never noticed you sneaking files into my stack," he replied as Morgan gave him a few case files to work on. "Thanks."

Morgan smiled, "You're welcome. So are you coming with us on the next case that comes along?" He asked.

Reid shook his head, "Hotch asked me to stay here for a while and do some consultations. Officially I have to talk to a grief counselor and found fit to get back out in the field. Hotch offered to be the one to talk to me, so that's good… I guess," he replied.

"It is, means you'll be back with us soon," Morgan said and opened the case file from his stack.

"Good morning honeys," Garcia said as she entered the room with a large mug of coffee. She set it down and strode over to Reid's desk, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him loudly on the cheek. "I am so incredibly happy you're back Einstein," she grinned and pulled back. "Hope you're not still mad at us for… y'know, allowing you to get drunk?" She said, looking at Morgan who merely grinned.

Reid shook his head, "It's fine Garcia," he said and gave her a genuine smile.

"Good morning all," JJ said as she entered the bullpen. Her eyes rested on Reid for a little while, to see if she could read something in his eyes. She couldn't. He merely greeted her back before burying himself into a file. She let out a small sigh before turning to Garcia. "I hope Henry hasn't been any trouble," she said, giving her friend a hug.

Garcia shook her head, "Not at all Jayje, he was wonderful. I dropped him off at the sitter just half an hour ago. Are you good to pick him up and take him home tonight?"

JJ smiled sadly and shook her head. "Talking to Will after work tonight, can he stay one more night with you?"

"No problem peaches. I'll make pancakes and we'll watch Disney movies. He misses you though," Garcia spoke softly.

Morgan, who had been eavesdropping, turned to JJ. "Is everything okay?" He asked, wondering what it could be that she needed to talk to Will about, and why Henry couldn't be there. It clicked almost immediately in his mind and he shot her another look, "If there's anything I can do for you…" he started.

JJ smiled gently at her friend, "Thanks Derek, I appreciate it. I will let you know once I think of something, okay?" She then turned to Reid, who was still pretending to be engrossed in the file he was holding in his hands. She could see he wasn't really reading though, he was still on the same page. "Spence?"

"Hmm?" Was the only response Reid gave before looking up at JJ.

"Can we talk?" She asked, looking around to see if there was anything private they could go to.

"Sure, what about?" He replied, knowing JJ would never bring the topic up in front of their friends.

JJ looked at him, her eyes urging him to get up from his desk and to follow her, which he didn't. "In private?"

Reid pretended to look weary, "Uhm… sure… I guess so," he responded before slowly getting up. He really didn't feel like talking about what had happened but saying no in these circumstances would have raised questions with Morgan and Garcia.

JJ opened the door to her office and waited until he was inside before closing the door behind him. "Spence, about last night…" she started.

"It's okay JJ, really. You had too much to drink, reached out to me for comfort, nothing more nothing less," he replied.

"It's not okay, I should've been there for you, not take advantage of you in this situation. I'll uhm… it won't happen again, I promise."

Reid nodded slightly, "Was that all? I was kind of busy," he lied.

"Yeah… thanks Spence," JJ replied and watched him leave her office. She ran her hands over her face, trying to shake the feeling that was settling in the pit of her stomach. _What's happening to me?_

* * *

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I hope I didn't disappoint anyone with the last chapter, but I feel it's more realistic for them not to end up together at this point. Reid is getting over his loss, as is JJ in a way. So for now I'm going to attempt adding some case(s) to this story, since Reid is back at work. I hope you'll enjoy it. Please keep the review coming, means a lot to hear from you!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Sorry, I've never told you  
All I wanted to say  
And now it's too late to hold you_  
'_Cause you've flown away  
So far away  
- One Sweet Day by Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey_

A week had passed since JJ and Reid's short conversation in her office. The two had barely even talked except for bare necessities. This morning JJ was rounding up her co-workers for a meeting, not finding Reid at his desk. She frowned slightly before turning to Morgan. "Where's Spence?" She asked.

Morgan looked up from his case file. "I uhm… I'm sure he'll be here soon. Why? Do we have a case?" He asked. Reid had asked him to keep something between the two of them, and he wasn't about to blow that promise. Reid had confided in him that he liked to spend some time at Maeve's grave every morning on his way to work. Normally he was still in time in the mornings, so nobody needed to know.

JJ nodded warily, "Can you call him Derek? Tell him it's urgent," she said before finding everybody else and gathering them in the round table room.

Morgan grabbed his cell phone and dialed Reid's number, "Hey pretty boy, we have a case, how soon can you be here?" He asked when Reid picked up.

Reid ran his hand over the letters on the gravestone, placing a red rose on top of the stone, "I'll be there in about ten minutes, catch up with you in the round table room, okay?" He said and let out a small sigh. The first few days of coming here he found Maeve was still close, he could feel her in his heart. Somehow it seemed she was slowly disappearing.

He was true to his word, for ten minutes later he came walking into the round table room. He gave a ghost of a smile to everybody who looked at him before sitting down and grabbing a case file.

JJ projected a few pictures on the wall, "Lisa Kellen, Amber Gould, Jany Emerson and Patty McDowell," she said, showing their smiling faces. "All aged between eighteen and twenty-three, single, taken from their homes about two weeks apart." She showed pictures of the crime scenes. "All found naked, with pieces of broken mirror in their eyes."

Reid leafed through the file, "Modus operandi is the same in all crime scenes, he broke all the mirrors in the women's homes and took the pieces with him…"

Blake interrupted him, "Or he put in the pieces of mirror when they were still alive, in their homes," she said.

"Ouch ouch ouch, my ears hurt hearing all this gruesome stuff, remind me why I'm in these meetings again?" Garcia said, looking away from the screen.

Hotch looked at her with his usual expression, "So we don't have to fill you in separately, and because you might be able to provide us with some insights," he said, looking back to JJ.

"Why didn't the police call us in sooner?"

JJ looked in the file and back up at Hotchner. "They only found the first three bodies last week, badly decomposed," she explained. "It was only then they figured out they were dealing with a serial killer."

"He's getting bolder, he stopped hiding the bodies," Rossi piped up.

"Wheels up in twenty, we're heading to Omaha," JJ said and closed her file, shutting down the laptop.

* * *

Garcia hobbled over to her friend on the jet, plopping down in the seat opposite of her. "Jayje, what's going on?" She asked, looking over the rim of her glasses.

JJ looked up from her book, "What are you getting at Pen?"

"You and our genius. You're not as tight at the hip as you used to be, what's going on?" Garcia asked.

"Well… I'm not reading too much into it, I think he's still, y'know, having trouble with what happened," JJ said, feeding her friend the little white lie. Reid was still having trouble with what happened, but their bond had only changed after she had kissed him.

Garcia looked contemplatively for a second, then shook her head, "No girlfriend, that's not it. You… well, technically we, were cheering him up, and he's doing much better than he was before. But just… between the two of you… Ugh, I hate it when I can't profile you guys!"

JJ laughed for a moment, cocking her head slightly, "Well you're getting better at it Pen, trust me. But this is not a conversation for now on the jet, raincheck okay?"

"You betcha peaches," Garcia beamed, having a sneaking suspicion that this was going to be something juicy. She loved juicy stories, especially when people told them to her. And even better when she could share them.

* * *

"Agent Mallory? I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner, these are SSA's Derek Morgan, David Rossi, Dr Spencer Reid, Jennifer Jareau and Alex Blake," Hotch said as he introduced his team to the local detective. "Do you have a room where we can set up?"

The detective nodded and pointed them to a room where they could start working out their preliminary profile. Once inside Reid put up the victims' photo's on the whiteboard and wrote down their names.

"So what do we have?" Morgan started as he looked around. "We have already established that he uses pieces of mirror from the victims' homes and puts them in their eyes as long as they're still alive."

Reid piped up, "He wants them to see him," he said as he nodded his head slightly.

Rossi nodded, "I'd call that narcissistic," he added.

"But wouldn't they see him without the pieces of mirror in their eyes? The pieces actually prevent them from seeing him, right?" JJ asked with a slight frown on her face.

Reid didn't look at her when he answered her, "He wants to see himself in their eyes," he said. "I think what Rossi said is something very important, he is full of himself, wants to see himself at all times."

"But then why did he smash all the mirrors in the victims' homes?" Morgan wondered.

"Maybe because he felt they weren't allowed to watch themselves? Maybe in his eyes they weren't worth it, that only he is worth it to see himself?" Blake offered her two cents.

Hotch nodded, "I think we could describe him as an extreme narcissist. He's not afraid of torturing his victims by making them go through this alive," he continued. "I think we're dealing with a man with a God complex."

"He wants to see himself do the right thing, killing those girls. But what have they done to him?" Reid wondered out loud.

"Babygirl," Morgan started, "I want you to dig up everything you can on these girls. Whatever the unsub feels they did, might be something they have in common, find that for us," he said.

Garcia nodded and quickly started typing, "Working my magic lovelies, you will have it before you know it."

* * *

That night after talking to Henry on her phone, JJ walked down the corridor to Garcia's hotel room. She knew she'd have to share the story eventually, so it better be when she initiated it. That, and she wanted to tell someone about. The kiss had been occupying her mind for days now.

She knocked on the door and smiled when she found Garcia in a bright pink bathrobe, her hair done up with pins. "Can I come in?"

"Of course sweetiepie," Garcia said as she moved aside. "So what's the story?"

"Whoah, calm down," JJ grinned as she sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting until Garcia came to sit down next to her. "First of all I want you to know you cannot talk about this with anyone, alright?"

Garcia nodded with a huge smile on her face, "This just gets better and better."

"The evening I confronted Will with what had happened, I was supposed to meet up with Spence at his place for some take-out and a movie," JJ started. She had already shared the whole story about Will and what was going to happen. "I didn't feel like going out anymore, so I called Spence and he offered to come over."

Garcia leaned a little bit closer, she liked where this was going. "He actually came over on his own accord?"

JJ nodded, "We drank wine, ordered take-out, drank more wine, watched a documentary, drank more wine. I uh… I don't know what was going through my head but I…"

Garcia's eyes widened, the grin spreading on her face. "You. Locked. Lips. You actually kissed him, didn't you?"

JJ's head dropped down in her hands, "I had too much to drink Pen, I didn't know what I was doing."

"He left, didn't he?" Garcia asked, understanding the tension between her two colleagues now.

With a nod JJ looked back up at her friend. "I messed up. He needed a friend to be there for him after what happened, and there I was, taking advantage of the situation."

Garcia grabbed JJ's hands. "You were not taking advantage. You had been through something horrible, you were simply reaching out for human contact. Granted a kiss might not have been the best way to go at that moment, but don't beat yourself up over this. Our genius will figure it out eventually, things will be all peachy soon."

JJ smiled, swallowing the lump that was rising in her throat. She felt her stomach turn a little bit, something was definitely going on and she needed to find out what it was she was feeling exactly. "Do you really think so?"

"I know so," Garcia said, soothing her friend. 'If not, I'm going to do something about it myself,' she added in her thoughts.

* * *

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay. I'm trying to figure out what to do with the case, I'm afraid I'm not as original as the writers of CM, so please bear with me. I hope you'll all enjoy this and leave me a message, as usual I love reading your reactions.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_I can almost read your mind, it's runnin' fast,  
Out of control  
You're afraid of what you'll find,  
If you get too close  
You imagine I don't care,  
You see walls that just aren't there  
You think I'm too strong to let you in  
Well that's just not fair_

_- I'm not so tough by Ilse de Lange_

* * *

"_Cher, we need to talk about this eventually," Will said as he settled down on the couch next to JJ. He had spent the night at his friend's place and was now back at their home to talk about what they were going to do and more especially, what they were going to tell Henry. _

_JJ nodded slightly, she had been dreading this moment all day. The moment she heard Will enter the front door, her heart started racing. She hated confrontational talks. She was going to do this for Henry; they needed to work something out that wasn't going to hurt their little boy. "Whatever we decide, it has to be in his favor," she started, turning to look at her husband. _

"_I think it's best for him to stay in the house… with you," he stated. He searched her eyes to read her feelings, but he could see that she had already shut down for him. He wondered for a moment if he'd ever been able to see the real woman and not just the woman the media saw on TV. When she wanted to object, he held up his hand, "I know this is our house, but I'm sure with your pay from the BAU and alimony, you should be able to keep the house. I wouldn't mind paying a little bit more if our little man can grow up in the same place," he said. _

_JJ could feel the tears start to burn in the corner of her eyes, she knew Will cared about Henry a lot, but she couldn't let him do that. Eventually some woman would come along in his life and he'd need the money. "Yes to the first, no to the latter. Will, I can pay this house by myself, it's no problem. But what about you, are you planning to go back to New Orleans?"_

_Will shook his head, "Not for now, no. It is a tempting option and I would love to go back there eventually, but that's just not going to happen with Henry at this age," he said and looked down at his hands, slowly sliding his wedding band off. _

_JJ stopped him, "Keep it, please. Think of it as a keepsake, to remember that what was," she said. She had every intention of keeping Will in her life for Henry sakes and determined to split up as friends. _

_At her statement Will looked up at her and gave her a nod, "Alright cher. So uhm… the papers, how is that going to work?"_

"_I will make sure to obtain those and let you know when you can sign," JJ said, making a mental note to talk about this with Hotch. Granted he was not a divorce lawyer, but he would be able to give her some information on how to go about this. _

"_I guess that means I can start packing my stuff," Will said, getting up. "Could you lend me a hand?"_

_JJ got up and started grabbing his things from the living room, some books, movies and games. She looked at the Xbox on their TV-stand. "I know this is yours, but Henry has been playing a lot of games lately," she started. _

"_Let him keep it, no worries about it," Will said. "Have you thought about what we should tell him?"_

_JJ shook her head, "Not really. I know one thing though, we cannot tell him we don't love each other anymore, that will worry him too much about us not loving him anymore someday. I don't know how to go about this, I don't want him to be hurt," she whispered, tears starting their way down her cheeks. _

_Will stopped what he was doing and wrapped an arm around her, allowing her to cry on his shoulder, "I'm sorry this all had to happen cher, I never meant for this to…" He stopped for a moment. Had he never meant to cheat on her, or had he never meant for her to find out. "I wish I could take this all back and that we could start over," he finished in a whisper, truly meaning it. _

_JJ pulled back only slightly, fighting the urge to just leave it all behind them. "It would have happened eventually," she whispered, "I don't think what we had would've lasted forever," she added, anxiously awaiting his reaction. _

_Will let out a sigh and nodded, "You might be right, but I'm still sorry," he said before continuing to grab all of his belongings. _

"_Shall we postpone our talk to Henry for a little while?" Will asked after he'd packed his clothes. "I'm thinking of taking a short vacation to New Orleans, maybe he can get used to it for a little bit before we break the news."_

"_Sounds like a good idea Will," JJ replied, agreeing with him. She helped him load some bags in his truck and gave him a hug. "It'll all be okay eventually," she said, more to convince herself than him._

* * *

"Earth to JJ," Garcia spoke from behind her laptop in the conference room at the Omaha PD. "What are you thinking about girlie?"

JJ looked up, startled. She set down her mug of coffee and ran her hands over her face. "I was just thinking about my last conversation with Will, when he left," she admitted, looking up at her friend. "Ever since then, I've been trying to figure out how to talk about this with Henry. For now I told him his daddy was on an extended sleepover, that was easy, but what next Pen?"

Garcia gave her friend an empathic smile, "I wish I could tell you how to deal with conversations like this sweetheart, but I'm afraid I don't have much experience in that particular area," she said, "If you want me to google something like this, consider it done," she joked.

"Thanks Pen, I appreciate it. I just… I guess it'll come to me eventually, let's hope it's going to be in time," she said and grabbed her phone, which had just started ringing. "Jareau," she spoke. "Yes Hotch, alright, have someone bring them over and I'll ask her to take a look at them," she said before hanging up.

"Someone is coming over to bring you the victims' laptops, Hotch wants you to find out if you can find any link at all between them, maybe webpages they frequented, online memberships to sites, anything," she said and turned on her heel. "I'm going to check on the rest, will you be alright?"

"Go my gentle friend, I'll be fine, call you when I have news for you," Garcia said and focused at her task at hand.

* * *

"Reid, what have you been able to find on the map," Hotch asked as he came into the room in which the team had set up a white board with a large map of Omaha and its surrounding areas.

"So far all of our victims come from a radius of 40 miles from Omaha," Reid started, "First victim was from Fremont, second from Wahoo, third from Mead and the last victim was a Omaha resident," he added, showing the locations of the victims on the map. "The location of the dead bodies were all around the same area, around Zorinsky Lake," Reid pointed at the location. "If we look at the surrounding estate, I'd say he's not a local."

Morgan nodded, "It's a pretty upscale neighborhood, I doubt our unsub lives there. Do you think he lives in Omaha?" He asked Reid.

Reid waited for a little bit, "I think so. All of our victims have been taken from their homes by the end of the day, I think he is from east Omaha and travels to Fremont for his job, which means being able to cross through the other towns, although it's not very logical," Reid pondered for a moment. He hated when things didn't seem logical, or when he couldn't find the logic in it just yet.

Just then Hotchner's phone rang. "Yes, Garcia you're on speaker," he said and placed the phone on the table.

"Hello my lovelies, I've been able to find something common on the victims' laptops. Though I hate snooping through browser histories I found a dating website in all of them. Seems like they all have a profile online and are looking for a date in the Omaha area."

"So we know where he might be meeting them," Rossi said, "but how do we find out who he is?"

"We know he has a type," Blake spoke up, "Young, blonde, blue eyes."

Morgan started shaking his head already and looked up at JJ when she came in. "No, no way," he said and looked at his fellow team mates to see if he could find a reaction there somewhere.

JJ frowned, "What's going on?"

Hotchner looked at her, "We've found a common dating site, well Garcia did," he said when he heard the latter sputter on the phone. "We think he's looking for the women on there and luring them into trusting him."

Rossi nodded, "He probably takes them on one or two dates and when they feel safe enough they invite him to their homes, which is when he takes them and kills them."

"And you're looking for a decoy?" JJ asked.

Hotchner nodded, "We would only have to put your picture on the website, see if he is interested and talk to him through the chatbox on the site. You wouldn't really have to go out there and meet with him."

"But eventually he'd want to meet right, that could be the moment to pick him up," JJ said, "I don't mind doing that, I can handle it."

Morgan shook his head, "No, Hotch, there has to be another way," he said, looking around. He could see all of his teammates were hesitant about the plans. He saw the worry on their faces.

"Don't worry guys," JJ said, "I can handle this. Just let me know what I have to put on such a profile to lure him in and how to speak with him."

Reid nodded, "I'll help you with that," he spoke up. He didn't want her to do this anymore than Morgan wanted her to, but he knew that when JJ had something in mind there was no talking her out of things. The only thing he could do now was stay close to her to help her and make sure she wouldn't make any rash decisions.

He took a moment to think about his mixed feelings. He felt concern for JJ's well-being. He always did, but there was a second layer there. Could old feelings be resurfacing?

* * *

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you for your wonderful reviews, glad you like the story. On with chapter 10, I must be on a roll!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_To the one whose dreams are falling all apart  
And all you're left with is a tired and broken heart  
I can tell by your eyes you think you're on your own  
but you're not all alone_

_**- **__Safe by Phil Wickham_

"JJ…" Reid started as he followed her into the computer room where he was supposed to help her set up a dating site account.

"Spence, I don't want to hear it. I know you don't want me to do this, but we need to catch this…" She paused, wanted to call him a bad name, but composed herself, "bad guy… Don't tell me what I can and can't do," she said, snapping slightly.

Reid frowned and settled down behind the laptop. "I wasn't going to say anything. No I don't like the idea of putting you in danger, but I know you know what you're doing and that you're… stubborn," he said, looking at her to spot her reaction.

JJ gave him a slight smile, "I guess I am," she said and sat down next to him. "So, how do we go about this?"

After logging into the website and opening the 'edit profile' section Reid turned to look at JJ. "Well, I've never… done something like this before. All I know is that written words can be really powerful," he said, thinking of all the letters he'd written to Maeve and all the ones he'd received in return. He shook the feeling and focused on the task at hand. "He's looking for women slightly younger than you, but I think we… or you in this case, can fool him," he said, not even realizing he'd just given her a compliment.

JJ smiled gently, "Thanks Spence," she whispered and sat behind the laptop, typing up a small story for her profile page. "Okay, now about… traits?" She asked, looking at Reid.

He blushed slightly as he thought, "You're… charismatic, friendly, a good listener, trustworthy, a great mother, but you best leave that one out. And you're…" He paused. "Never mind."

"I'm what Spence?" JJ asked gently, impressed with how easily he could give her positive traits.

"You're beautiful…" he whispered, his cheeks reddening even further. He cleared his throat and got up, "I'm gonna get us some coffee, I'll be right back," he said and slipped out of the room before she had a chance to react.

JJ sat stunned for a moment. Reid opening up like this and giving her such a compliment struck something deep inside of her. Reid never made any comments about appearance and him calling her beautiful, she'd never expected to hear him say something like this. She decided for now not to confront him with it, it had been tough enough for him to say something like that.

When Reid came back with their coffee she just thanked him and gave him a bright smile. She received a sheepish one in return.

"Do you think this'll work?" She asked once she had uploaded her profile along with some pictures.

Reid nodded, "Most definitely, looking at all the blondes on this site which match his preferences, well let's just say, there aren't many options left for him," he said.

"How do we know he's not just going to start using another dating website?" JJ asked.

"We don't, but Garcia said this one was in all of their browser histories, so it's worth a try, don't you think?" He asked.

JJ nodded. "Alright, let's head back to the team, see if they've got anything else for us," she said, leading the way to the conference room.

When she walked in she could see Hotchner's worried face. His brows were slightly furrowed and his stare was serious. "What's up Hotch?"

He looked at her, "We've got another one. Reid, I want you to go to the crime scene together with Morgan, see if you can find anything that will help us give a definitive profile this afternoon. The sooner we can provide the department with a profile of the man they're looking for, the sooner we can put this guy behind bars."

"Right with ya there Bossman," Garcia piped up, "he's such a creep," she said, pulling up the most recent crime scene photos on her laptop.

* * *

"Detective Mallory," Morgan said as he shook the detective's hand. "What have we got?" He asked as he followed Mallory to the crime scene.

"Another blonde woman, found this morning by a man walking his dog. The dog started pulling him in the direction of the water, he followed and that's when he saw her."

"She's left naked, that's a first time," Reid said, looking at the victim. "Mirrors in her eyes again, judging by the blood done when she was still alive. I bet that the ME will confirm she has blue eyes," he spoke to no-one in particular.

Morgan squatted down next to the victim, looking at her arms. "Ligature marks indicate her wrists were bound together," he said, getting back up. He looked around the area, "Looks to me he's evolving slightly. This dumpsite was more visible than the others; he left her naked, maybe to shock people?"

Reid nodded slightly, "I think we'll be ready to give a profile once we get back to the station," he said, turning to detective Mallory. "You can call your ME to have the body picked up."

When the detective turned to walk away Reid looked at Morgan. "I've uhm… never thanked you for listening to me when I had to talk about Maeve," he started, "for keeping it from the team that I like to visit her grave before coming into work."

"No problem man," Morgan replied with a slight grin. "So have you found what you were looking for there?"

Reid frowned for a moment and then nodded, "Consolation of some sorts. I'm just glad I had the opportunity to have this with her and I can do nothing but be grateful for that."

Morgan patted his friend on the back, "Sounds like you're slowly getting ready to move on, good for you," he said. He'd had a feeling that Reid was allowing old feelings to come float back to the surface again. He hadn't been blind to Reid's crush on JJ and he felt that with new developments his young friend was allowing them back in his heart.

Reid smiled, "Yeah… so thank you," he said again as the detective was done talking on the phone.

Together they headed back to the police station to give everybody a profile. They stood together in the conference room, a crowd of agents in front of them. Hotchner stepped forward.

"We're looking for an Omaha resident around his forties. He targets blonde women between the ages of eighteen and thirty. He is enlisted on a local dating website as are the women. We believe he gains their trust, goes on one or two dates with them before the women trust him enough to invite him to their homes. Once there he strikes, binds their wrists and places mirrors in their eyes while they're still alive. He wants to be able to see himself in their eyes, literally."

JJ stepped forward next to Hotchner, "We decided to create an account on the dating website, with my photo on it. Once the unsub reaches out we will talk to him via the chatbox, lure him in. When I go on a date with him we will be able to catch him," she said, looking around at the officers.

"Excuse me, what do you mean by unsub?" One of the officers in the back asked.

"The suspect, the unknown subject," Rossi said. "Because we are not sure he will fall for this trap we want you to be on the lookout for this man. He most likely works in the area around Fremont, he is not very intelligent so most likely works at a factory, at least work for which he doesn't need much brainpower," he explained.

Blake nodded, "He's a man you wouldn't find out of the ordinary when you pass him on the street. He is polite and doesn't attract much attention to himself. He is a typical narcissist, probably a loner. He doesn't think people are good enough to be allowed to spend time with him, so he rather spends his time alone."

Hotchner looked around, "That's all for now, good luck," he said and turned to JJ. "I want you to stay close to a computer in case you receive any messages on the website. Take Reid with you, he should be able to figure out which message could be from him."

JJ nodded and looked at Reid, "Let's go," she said and followed him to the computer room.

She opened the inbox on the laptop and was amazed by the amount of messages she had gotten. "Wow, these are… very good for your self-esteem," she said, turning to Reid.

Reid read a few messages and blushed at the straightforwardness of most of them. "I can't imagine ever finding a partner through a website like this," he said. "It's almost like selling yourself."

JJ looked at Reid and shook her head a bit. "I think it's a very good option for people who don't have much time to meet other people. This way they can sift through preferences and get straight to the point."

"I guess you have a point there," Reid admitted, "I just wouldn't know what to put on there without making me sound like a total nerd."

JJ smiled gently at him, "I could always help you if you want me to. If you're ready to get out there again that is."

Reid shook his head, "Nah I think I'm good, thanks."

"Suit yourself," she replied as they continued reading all the messages that had found their way into her inbox. Little did they know it was going to take many hours of reading messages from old perverts and horny little high school kids.

* * *

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you for the lovely responses, over 60 reviews so far, I'm impressed and grateful! I'm glad you all really like the case and find it intriguing, I must admit, so do I. I never thought I had it in me to write about a case. Anyway, on to the story.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_Open up,  
open up your heart to me now.  
Let it all come pouring out,  
there is nothing I can't take._

_And if there's love just feel it,_  
_and if there's life we'll see it._  
_This is no time to be alone, alone,_  
_yeah, I… won't let you go._

_- I won't let you go by James Morrisson_

* * *

"Oh my, Spence, you have to read this one," JJ giggled as she turned the laptop screen to face Reid. The past two hours they had gone over all the messages that so far had ended up in her inbox, none of them matching their unsub's profile.

Reid squinted his eyes slightly and started reading. Within seconds he turned to JJ, his mouth a little bit agape.

JJ was still chuckling slightly, which was increased by Reid's facial expression. "What is it?"

"I don't understand how a man could ever write a message like that to a woman," Reid started. He was baffled by the implications the men were making and what they wanted JJ to do. He didn't understand how she could take this so lightly, some of these messages were quite offending. "Doesn't this offend you?"

With a shake of her head JJ smiled, "Well first of all not everybody is as eloquent as you," she said. "I mean, yeah, what he is implying is quite… gross to say the least, but the trick is not to take all of these messages seriously. There are some quite honest ones in there as well."

"Do you think a relationship founded on a message through a website could actually work?" Reid asked, not realizing the similarity with his relationship with Maeve. He had only spoken to her via phone calls and they had written each other.

JJ shrugged, "I'm not sure, I've never experienced it myself, but that doesn't mean it can't work out. Besides, you and Maeve were doing okay right?"

Reid frowned slightly, "We didn't meet via a dating website."

"Well you might as well have. You never met her in person before… well, you know and yet you seemed to hit it off, right?"

Reid was silent for a moment, processing JJ's word before nodding, "I guess you've got a point."

JJ chuckled, "Doctor Reid, are you saying I was the one to point you in that direction instead of the other way around. Are you saying I was right?" JJ teased and playfully nudged his shoulder. When he didn't respond to her teasing, she straightened up. "So, how many more of these?"

"Let's see, about twenty and incoming," Reid said, opening the next one, reading it out loud. "Dear Amanda," he started, glad they had decided to use a fake name, just in case. "When I saw your picture I fell in love. Your beautiful blue eyes pierced right into my soul and even though we've never met, I immediately felt a strong connection. Will you be the one to walk next to me, pushing the grocery cart and will you be the one to warm my bed? I hope you will do me the honor of sending a message back. Love, Michael," he finished.

"Doesn't sound like him," JJ pondered. "Pushing the grocery cart? What is he looking for exactly, a girlfriend or a mother?" She said, looking at Reid.

"Warming his bed, this guy moves pretty fast," he chipped in. "But then again it seems like they all do. But no, doesn't sound like our guy at all."

"What would our guy sound like?" JJ wondered for a moment, not sure how someone who could do such evil was able to lure the women in beforehand. Would he sound like a narcissist or would he put on a mask, act a different role entirely?"

Reid browsed the rest of the messages quickly, eliminating all of them as being the unsub. "His messages will probably be quite short, to the point. Most likely he is a handsome man, so his picture will make them decide quicker."

JJ nodded a little bit as they browsed profiles of men in the area which fit the profile age-wise. "I have a feeling he's not here Spence," JJ admitted. She wasn't sure why, but called it her instinct. Usually when she had a feeling like this, she was right.

Reid let out a small sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "There has to be a way for us to find him. But if he's switching dating sites it will make it all a lot more difficult for us. Maybe Garcia can help us with something." He grabbed his phone and dialed the number, putting her on speaker.

"Lady in waiting to my wondrous kings and queens of the BAU, what can I do for you?" Garcia said as she picked up the phone.

"Garcia it's Reid, you're on speaker with me and JJ. I need you to cross reference all the IP addresses from local dating sites, see if there are any men that are enlisted on more than one of the sites," he said.

"If that's all it's going to be easy peasy," Garcia said as she started typing away on her computers.

"We're looking for a Caucasian man from Omaha between his twenties and thirties, how many does that give?" JJ asked.

Garcia typed away even faster, processing all the information that she saw on her screen. "About a hundred, I need more lovelies."

JJ looked at Reid, "What kind of categories do dating websites always ask? Maybe we can narrow those down?"

"Yes, good idea. He would be a non-smoker, he doesn't want to have children," Reid rambled, not quite certain if this would be the right direction.

"That helps a tremendous lot boy wonder," Garcia replied, "I've got about seventeen names for you, I will send them to your computer now for you to sift through," she said. "How are you holding up Jayje, with all those creeps messaging you?"

"I'm doing fine Pen, don't worry about me. Thanks for your help," JJ replied before she allowed Reid to hang up.

After going through the names and pictures they still came up empty handed. Reid let out a frustrated groan as he ran his hands over his face. "There must be something I missed," he muttered to no one in particular.

"Spence, we'll find him. I know you can crack this eventually," JJ told him soothingly.

"Maybe I used to, but my mind is just not the same anymore," Reid said, frustrated with himself.

JJ reached out a hand and ran it over his upper arm, "It will be the same eventually Spence, I'm sure of it. Maybe even a bit better," she said, pausing to think of what she was going to say next. "How are you holding up?"

Reid looked up at her and shrugged, "Doing better actually, is it weird that I feel guilty for not thinking of her all the time?"

JJ shook her head, "I think that's a good thing, I'm sure you still think about her every once in a while, that's enough. It shouldn't occupy your mind all day every day," she said gently.

Reid nodded a little bit, and then remembered he wasn't the only one going through a rough patch. "What about you JJ? How are you holding up?"

It was silent for a while as JJ was trying to clear her thoughts, not sure how to share her doubts with Reid. She was worried about doing the wrong thing; she didn't want Henry to get hurt. A tear escaped her eye as she thought of her son. "Sometimes… I don't know if I'm doing the right thing," she said in a whisper. "There are times I think I just have to keep trying, y'know… for Henry's sake, for him to have a mother and a father in the same house."

"I uhm…" Reid wasn't quite sure how to respond to JJ's statement. "Of course it's up to you, but I don't think you should just be getting back together with Will for Henry. He's better off having you around and happy than having both of you around fighting all the time."

"We wouldn't have to be fighting," JJ started, defending herself.

"I told you before, I turned out quite alright with just my mom around, I'm not sure how it would've been if I saw all the tension between my parents all the time," Reid said, more to himself than to her, wondering for a moment how he would've turned out in that case.

JJ wiped her tears away and gave a small nod, "I guess you're right… this time," she added, attempting to joke.

Reid pushed all his doubts about social etiquette to the back of his mind and took her in his arms, hugging her tightly to him, wanting to soothe her. His hands ran up and down her back as he felt how she clung to him. He let out a sigh and took in the smell of her hair, closing his eyes.

It was in this position Derek Morgan found them only a few moments later.

* * *

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I'm gonna let you wait just a little while longer before finding out Morgan's reaction, first a bit of the case because that's how I love to tease. Thanks for reading and reviewing, as usual it means a lot.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_I loved and lost_  
_ The same as you_  
_ So you see I know_  
_ Just what you've been through_  
_ And if you'll let me_  
_ Here's what I'll do_  
_ I just got to take care of you  
- I'll take care of you by Beth Hart  
_

Amanda checked her reflection in the mirror one last time. She blew herself a kiss, brushed away a small mascara spot on her cheek and fluffed her hair. Deciding this was going to be as good as it gets, she stepped out the front door of her apartment, walking the short distance to the metro station. A few nights ago she had met a man online and tonight would be their first date. He'd offered to take her out to dinner at a small Italian bistro. She was looking forward to it.

The train ride to the center of town took only about twenty minutes, meaning she would arrive at the restaurant first. She took the short walk from the station to the restaurant, pausing to look at a kissing couple on the other side of the street. She stood in slight awe for a moment, thinking back to the moment that was here. It had been a while since she'd been in a serious relationship and she finally found herself confident enough to start dating again.

When she'd seen Daniel's profile on the site, she just knew she had to try. She had never expected he would even reply to her message, let alone want to meet up with her. Yet, here she was. When she felt the first drops of rain that told her she needed to hurry up, she did just that. She went to their table which he had reserved and ordered a glass of white wine, waiting.

She didn't see the exact moment when Daniel entered the restaurant, but when she heard some whispers around her, she looked up to see him walking towards the table. She smiled, getting up to greet him and to take a moment to take him in. He had a very athletic built, she didn't doubt for a moment that he was a model. His bright blue eyes sparkled as he reached her, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards him for a greeting hug.

"Hi," she said shyly after pulling back from the hug, "it's really nice to finally meet you. I uhm… didn't order a drink for you yet, I wasn't sure what you'd like…" she rambled, sitting down.

He flashed her a bright white smile, "I'll have a white wine as well," he said, nodding to the waiter who had just arrived at their table with a menu. He took it gracefully and looked up at Amanda over the opened menu. "I'm glad you could make it tonight," he said, "did you have trouble finding the place at all?"

Amanda shook her head, taking a sip of her wine. She could feel her cheeks burn at his look, "Not at all," she replied.

After ordering their starters they talked, picking up right where they had left off online. Amanda found herself drawn to him, just as she imagined. He was a gorgeous and kind man; one of those you would never think would ever look at you. She nervously fumbled with the strands of her blonde curls, flashing him a shy smile while they talked.

After their starters the main course followed, but she'd had to decline a dessert. When it came to the check he had picked it up without even giving it a second thought. Amanda had wanted to grab her purse to split the bill, but he'd insisted on paying. After a short walk through the park, walking hand in hand, he'd called her a cab and kissed her goodnight.

* * *

"Whoa whoa, what is going on here?" Morgan asked, looking at the two people hugging each other tightly in front of him.

At the sound of their friend's voice both Reid and JJ pulled back, their cheeks flushing slightly. JJ's eyes were still a little red rimmed, causing Morgan to look at Reid with a 'I'm going to kill you if you caused this'-look.

"It's fine Derek," JJ said, wiping at her eyes and getting up. "I uhm… Spence was just asking me how things are going at home and I guess it just was a little too emotional to think about," she explained. "Thank you Spence," she said and left the room, leaving Reid and Morgan behind.

Morgan sat down in the chair JJ just left, looking at Reid. "How's she doing?" He asked, concerned for his friend. He knew that she talked to Reid most easily and felt himself lost for a moment on what to do. He wanted to help her, but he wasn't sure what he could do.

Reid was silent for a moment, not sure what to tell Morgan. He wasn't sure what JJ wanted him to tell, and decided to keep the information superficial. "She uhm… she is trying to figure out how to approach the whole topic of divorce when it comes to Henry," he said.

Morgan nodded a little, knowing that this was all the information he was going to get for now. He decided to switch topics. "Any luck on those creepy messages?" He said, nodding his head towards the laptop screen.

"Not really no," Reid said, shaking his head. "It's not sitting right with me, you know. This website was found in all of the victim's browser history, I just know he's got to be on here," he said, staring into distance for a moment.

"But so far he's not approached JJ, maybe he still will?" Morgan asked, the question more rhetorical. "Maybe we just need to wait him out a little while longer," he added.

Reid shook his head, "It could mean he's not actively looking for a new victim at the moment, maybe because he's already found one," he said, looking up at Morgan.

"In which case he would only possibly contact JJ after that woman is dead," Morgan added.

Reid sat in silence for a moment, contemplating all the options they had of finding this guy. Morgan was right, their best chance was waiting until the man reached out, but he couldn't stand to think they would have to wait for another young woman's life to be cut short. After a few minutes something in his mind clicked. "I think I have something," he said, "we need to get the team together and we need to change our approach."

A while later the team had gathered together in a small room. Hotch turned to Reid, "Okay, speak up," he said, nodding towards Reid.

"I think we've been going at this the wrong way. We have been assuming that he has a type and that he is sending the women messages via this dating website. But what if it's the other way around? He might still have a consistent type, but we don't know that for sure anymore. I think the women might be approaching him," Reid rambled.

"That would explain why I haven't received any messages from him," JJ said with a small nod.

Rossi sat with his fingertips pressed together, looking in the distance a little, "So what has he got on his profile that would have women sending him messages. What makes him so attractive to them?"

"I imagine women look at the picture first," Blake commented and shrugged at Morgan's cocked eyebrow. "Hey, men are not the only one to look at appearance first," she said, generalizing the male population slightly. "So he would have to be handsome, to a lot of women."

"He might be someone women don't imagine to have a chance with, yet they still try," Hotch said, looking at Reid. "How shall we go about this?"

Reid thought for a moment. "Well there is the option of the women looking through all the profiles to see which men they deem handsome," he replied, looking at Blake, JJ and Garcia. He cleared his throat when he felt a thought creep up in his mind about what exactly JJ would find handsome. "I could scan through the profiles, see which ones stand out," he opted.

"That's going to take some time," Hotch replied, "but it's all we've got so far. Have Garcia help you," he said, ending their short meeting.

* * *

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Longest chapter yet! Thanks for your reviews, I'm glad to hear that you liked looking in on the UnSub's date with a new victim. It won't be the last time we see him…

* * *

**Chapter 13**

_When my insides are wracked with anxiety  
You have the touch that will quiet me  
You lift my spirit, you melt the ice  
When I need inspiration, when I need advice_

_- I turn to you by Mel C_

JJ turned on her side on the bed in her hotel room. She let out a deep sigh at the phone ringing on her nightstand. It was only 6 am, her alarm wasn't supposed to go off for another hour or so. She grabbed her phone and took a look on the screen, smiling as she saw it was her own home number. It would probably be Henry.

"Hi baby," she answered the phone, staring at the ceiling with a smile. She still felt bad every time she had to leave Henry behind. Usually she had a sitter at home with him, Karen, who had become a good friend of hers as well. This time her mother insisted she take Henry for the night, as she was visiting for a few days.

"Hi mommy," Henry replied, excited that he was able to talk to his mother on the phone. "Guess wat?" He asked, but didn't give JJ any time to reply. "Gramma is going to take me to the zoo," he said excitedly, bouncing off his bed as he grinned broadly.

JJ could almost hear his smile through the phone, "That's great honey, so are you all dressed and ready to go?"

"Uh-huh," Henry said, nodding vigorously. "I go see the elephants and the hippos," he said, naming some more big animals. Henry was fond of dinosaurs and since they didn't have any of those in the zoo he settled for the big animals.

"Oh that's exciting baby," JJ replied, smiling. "So I don't suppose you want to go to the zoo again next week with mommy?" She asked. She and Henry had a discount card on the zoo, they loved to go there together.

"Yes, can we mommy?" Henry squealed, almost forgetting that was already going there today. "Can Uncle 'Pence and Aunt 'Nelopy come too?" He asked. He loved spending time with his godparents, but hadn't seen them around much lately. "And daddy, can daddy come too?"

JJ closed her eyes, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall, "Daddy can't come sweetie, he is in New Orleans, do you remember?" At Henry's confirmation she continued, "I can ask your Uncle Spence and Aunt Penelope though, I'm sure they would love to come."

Mother and son talked for a bit longer before Henry told her he was going to go eat pancakes. JJ smiled and asked for him to put his grandma on the phone, smiling as she heard her mother come on the line. She could hear Henry chat happily in the background, telling his toys all about his exciting day ahead.

"You didn't have to take him mom," JJ started, "he's just been there last weekend and I'm planning to go again when I get back."

"Oh sweetheart, he just loves it so much, and I have to admit, so do I," Sandy Jareau replied as she watched her grandson play with his pancakes. "Henry sweetie, you have to put them in your mouth," she said, putting the phone between her ear and shoulder, making bite sized parts for Henry to eat.

"Thank you mom, I appreciate it. So how's he doing?" JJ asked, knowing that her mother wouldn't be able to give many details since Henry was listening in.

Sandy smiled at her grandson and turned around slightly, so he wouldn't catch everything. "He's fine considering the circumstances," she replied. "He misses you, both of you."

"I know mom, I don't want to get into this again. Divorcing Will is the right decision," JJ defended herself, knowing her mother would much rather see the two of them together. "Henry and I will be fine, just fine," she said, partly convincing herself as well.

"If that's what you feel," Sandy replied, indicating that the conversation was over, for now. She would talk to her daughter face to face later. "We're going to get cleaned up and then we're going to head to the zoo. Do you know when you will be home sweetie?"

JJ shook her head on the phone, "I don't know mom, it's a tough one. If you need me to come back though… I'm sure I can make arrangements here," she replied.

"Are you kidding, I'm glad to be able to spend some quality time together with Henry, we'll be fine. You take care sweetheart," Sandy replied.

"I will mom, thank you. I love you," JJ replied.

"I love you too Jennifer," Sandy said and hung up the phone.

* * *

When JJ came into the police department just an hour later she was surprised to see everybody already there. "What's going on?" She asked, looking at Hotch.

"We have another one," he replied. "I tried calling you this morning, you didn't pick up. I'm glad you're here."

JJ frowned, "I was on the phone with Henry and my mom, I never heard the second call coming in," she said, "I'm sorry."

Hotch didn't reply, but instead focused his attention on handing out the assignments. "We have another body, Morgan and JJ I want you on site, Reid and Garcia I want you to find his profile, Rossi and Blake go talk to the family and I will go to the ME," he said.

Garcia ran her hands over her face, "Another one? Come on genius, we are going to find the bastard," she said, getting up and walking towards the computer room, determined.

Reid looked at JJ for a short moment, seeing she was troubled. He tried to meet her eyes to give her an encouraging smile, but when she didn't look at him he followed Garcia.

When he entered the computer room behind Garcia he immediately went over to the screen and started to read all the profiles. "Okay, filter out all the men between twenty and thirty-five," he ordered. "He has to live in Omaha, how many does that leave us?"

Garcia clicked away with her mouse and keyboard, "I work fast Boy Wonder, but just give me one minute," she replied, looking at the screen as she typed in their filters. "That gives us a hundred and seven," she replied, "What else?"

"He's a non-smoker, doesn't want children…" Reid thought, repeating the filters he'd already shared before. "How many?"

"Sixty-four, can we read those and look at the pictures?" Garcia asked, biting her lower lip, not sure if they would be fast enough to save another victim.

Reid nodded, "Can you put them on the large screen for me to read?" He asked. Garcia complied and he started reading, looking at sophisticated and educated language. He wasn't quite sure what the man would have in his profile, if there would be any. "Garcia, how do we determine if he's got the looks our victims would've gone after?"

Garcia grinned as she looked at Reid, "You mean which of these men would be handsome?"

Reid turned, "Yes, would there be a general type or a specific type?" He asked.

"Well genius, I know many women would fancy you," Garcia started, teasing him slightly, enjoying the fact that she could make him blush so easily.

"M-Me?" He asked, uncertain. "I uhm… so I'd be looking for…" he started, trying to figure out what exactly women could possibly find attractive in him. "Garcia, what exactly would be attractive… about… me?" He asked, flustered.

Garcia chuckled a little bit, "You're tall, nice eyes, many women would love your hair, maybe not your built…"

"Morgan's built right?" Reid asked as he scanned the pictures for athletic men. He eliminated the skinny and slightly overweight men from the selection. "This is helping Garcia," he said, starting to get excited about the possibility of finding their UnSub this way.

"Not necessarily, but yes I love my chocolate god," Garcia replied, "but some women might find that a little over the top. I know for a fact that JJ would never date Morgan," she said, trying to find out if her hunch about Reid's feelings for JJ resurfacing had been correct.

Reid didn't reply, not quite sure if he had to. Why was she telling him this? He decided to take the bait, "What uhm… which of these men do you think she would find attractive?"

Garcia, thinking about JJ and herself pointed out about twenty-three men from the pictures that were on the board before turning to look at Reid. "And you, but you're obviously not on the board."

Reid was flabbergasted; did Garcia really think that JJ would find him attractive? "Are you sure?" He asked, the blush rising on his face as he quickly started looking at the profiles. The men had a few things in common, their faces were symmetrical, and they looked charismatic and had big jobs. Doctors, lawyers, a model. Suddenly Reid saw it, not thinking about Garcia's words anymore. "That's him," he said, pointing at one of the men.

"Daniel Simmons," Garcia nodded, "I will find everything I have on him in a jiffy," she said, scooting behind the laptop. She decided to let Reid off the hook for now as he rushed out of the computer room to inform the detective and to call Hotch.

* * *

Daniel put on his black leather gloves and grabbed the bouquet of flowers from the passenger seat. He checked himself once more in the rearview mirror, looked around and stepped out of the car. He still had to walk two blocks before reaching Amanda's house, in order to make sure nobody would recognize his car.

He wrapped his scarf closer around his neck and walked quickly, soon arriving at her doorstep. He looked around for the bell and when he didn't see it knocked on the door. He plastered on his charismatic smile as she opened the door.

He could see she had taken the time to dress up nicely for him. She was wearing a bright red dress, her hair done up nicely. She smelled great, he thought as he hugged her close as a means of welcome. "Thank you for inviting me," he said as he handed her the flowers, following her to the kitchen as she put them in some water.

After a glass of wine she was leaning against his side on the couch. He reached into his pocket and took out some tie wraps. He knocked her out with one hit and bound her hands behind her back. After recovering some duct tape from his coat, he put some over her mouth, just as she was waking up. He let her squirm on the floor for a while as he got up to explore the house, in search of a mirror. He found one in her bedroom and smashed it, taking the pieces he would need back downstairs with him.

"Mandy honey, don't squirm," he said as she straddled her, seeing the fear in her eyes. "Bet you hadn't expected that huh?" He grinned as he held up the knife. "I am going to make you see me as I see myself."

Just a few hours later after having had his fun with her, he dumped her in the park, in a bushy corner to make sure she wouldn't be seen straight away from the path. He let out a deep sigh, watching her naked body for a moment before turning around and disappearing into the night

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

A/N2: At first I wanted to describe the murder as it happened, but then decided against it because it might have been a little too graphic. This way you can all imagine what he did with her, making it as gruesome (or not so gruesome) as you want. Please let me know what you think!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thank you for your continuing support. Your reviews always make my day, as do your follows and favorites! I'm glad so many people are reading and enjoying the story and I love hearing from you and hearing your input. On with chapter 14, probably the longest one out there. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_And I won't let you fall  
Don't be afraid to fall  
I'm right here to catch you  
I won't let you down  
It won't get you down  
You're gonna make it  
Yeah I know you can make it_

_- I won't let go by Rascal Flatts_

Hotch peeked his head around the corner into the computer room. "JJ I need you to prepare to meet with Daniel Simmons," he said, coming in and closing the door behind him. "Are you prepared to do so?"

JJ nodded, "Do you think he'll react?" She asked.

"You're certainly his type and he is waiting for another victim right now, so we have to act quickly," Hotch said, turning to look at Reid. "I want you to help JJ write a message while the others go investigate the scene. If there's anything that can help you, they will let you know." With that last message he left JJ and Reid alone in the computer room.

JJ let out a deep and slightly shaky sigh, nervous about this. She wasn't very fond of the idea of meeting this Daniel, but she knew they had to wrap this case up as soon as they could before he would make any more victims. "Spence?" She asked, looking at her friend who hadn't spoken a word yet.

"I don't want you to do this JJ," he whispered softly, looking down at his feet. At the thought of having to put her in danger his insides twisted up. The last time someone close to him was in room with an UnSub hadn't turned out well; he wasn't going to witness something like that happening another time.

"I'm going to be fine Spence, the team will be there… you will be there," she said, trying to meet his eyes.

"Well a lot of good that did last time," he snapped, standing up. He started pacing the room, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't want to witness him doing… _that_ to you," he said, not getting into details since they both knew the horrors of what Daniel did to his victims.

JJ let out a sigh and stepped closer to him, reaching out for his arm. "Spence, wait," she whispered. "You heard Hotch; we have to do this, regardless of whether or not you want me to. So could you please help me prepare this message to him?" She asked.

Reid nodded defeated, sitting down behind the laptop. "Alright, do you want to help me or should I just… go run with this?"

"I'll help you; it has to sound at least slightly feminine, right?" JJ said, attempting to tease him slightly. It didn't work.

With a nod Reid started typing a message to their UnSub as JJ adjusted his wording at some places. Within ten minutes they had written a complete message and sent it on the website. JJ turned to Reid after he'd hit the sent button. "Shall we go grab a cup of coffee while we wait for him to reply?" She suggested.

"Sounds good," he replied, following her outside to the nearest café.

After getting their order they sat down at a small table near the window, which had a niece overview over the busy street. "So… how are you?" JJ asked, "you seem to be doing better."

Reid held his coffee in both of his hands, looking down at the dark liquid. "I guess I am… doing better," he replied, looking up at her. "Sometimes I feel guilty you know, for moving on," he explained.

"I think that's what she would've wanted," JJ replied, nodding slightly to herself.

"What about you, how are you doing?" Reid asked in return.

JJ smiled sadly, "Even though I'm glad I broke up with Will I feel bad for what I did, for Henry," she whispered, "my mom isn't helping with that either."

"Why is that?"

"She doesn't want me to break up with Will, she wants us to stay together for Henry. I guess that ever since dad passed away she just feels determined for families to stay together as long as possible," she explained, "they didn't have it easy. After my sister…" she paused, choking up, "after she'd… done what she did… my parents fought all the time, blaming each other. They still stayed together, for me," she finished. "She feels that… Will and I will overcome this and work things out."

Reid shook his head slightly, he wasn't the person to judge situations he didn't know everything about, but this was JJ. "Will cheated on you, tell me you're not considering taking him back," he said, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Well, there are certain male influences Henry's going to miss out on. And there are just some things that a dad teaches his son," JJ said, still thinking about what her mother had told her on the phone.

"If you want me to do… manly things with Henry, you can always ask me, you know that right?" Reid offered. When JJ started to giggle he frowned, "What, what did I say?"

"Manly things Spence?" JJ giggled. "But thank you," she said, reaching out to grab his hand. "I appreciate it."

* * *

Upon arriving back at the police station they saw a message pop up on the screen. "He replied," JJ said, looking around for Garcia. When she saw her friend she motioned for her to come over. "Pen, can you try and track this message?" She asked before sitting down to read what the UnSub had written.

_Amanda, thanks for your message. I would love to set a date to meet up with you. I'm very busy these upcoming weeks, so I'd appreciate if we could set an early date. Please let me know when you're available._

The message was short and practical and there was no hint of any attraction whatsoever in his message. JJ shook her head slightly; she couldn't understand why any of those women would've wanted to meet up with him. "Do you have anything Garcia?"

"Hold your fire peaches," Garcia replied as she typed away furiously on her keyboard. "He's rerouted everything through proxies, but I'll find him, don't worry."

Hotch came walk in the room. "Is he available on chat? We need to get a message back to him as soon as possible. We found a restaurant where you can meet up, only one exit so he has nowhere to go," he informed the team as they slowly started to gather in the computer room.

"He's here boss," Garcia said as she opened up the chat window. "Do you want me to type?"

Hotch nodded, "Tell him you really want to meet him and that you're available tonight," he said, looking at the screen over Garcia's shoulder.

"He's replying sir. 'Tonight sounds like a good idea, where would you like to meet?'" she said, reading out loud what the UnSub was sending them.

After giving the UnSub all the information they were gathered in the next room to talk through their plan. Reid sat to the side, keeping an eye on JJ to see if she was still willing to go through with this. He was worried for her, not just because of what she had to do tonight, but about everything. He could feel this was more than just a worry for a friend and was confused at the emotions that were rushing through his mind.

As the hour of the 'date' came nearer JJ was pacing the room at the police station. She tried to focus on her task at hand as she thought about how they were going to work it out tonight. She was supposed to be inside the restaurant by seven, the team would be outside in several cars parked along the street. They knew it wasn't the UnSub's plan to kill her tonight, but they had to be cautious because they didn't know what he could do if startled.

When it was time and JJ was getting ready to step out of the car, Reid grabbed her hand in his on impulse. "Be safe," he whispered, his eyes searching out for hers, staring deeply into them. At her nod he released her hand, softly sighing.

JJ looked around for oncoming traffic before crossing the street, making her way to the restaurant. She smiled at the waiter as she slid into the booth at the back of the restaurant. They had called the restaurant to let them in on their plans; the only people at the restaurant were undercover cops from the Omaha PD. She shivered involuntarily at the nerves that were creeping up on her. She reached a hand to touch her back to check if her wire was still there. When she found it was she straightened her shoulders, taking a sip of water.

He was late, something that didn't worry the team. This man only cared about himself and wasn't able to feel empathy. When they saw him coming down the street fifteen minutes late they made sure to have eyes on him.

Daniel opened the door to the restaurant, smiling at the waiter and looking around, seeing the gorgeous blonde woman in the back. She smiled shyly at him and waved. He went over to the table with large strides, "Amanda," he said, reaching out his hand to shake hers.

JJ stood up, "Daniel, so glad you could make it on short notice," she replied, trying not to let her voice sound shaky.

They kept up the small talk for a short time before Daniel's gaze turned serious. "Amanda, not a name you hear often around here," he started, "but it's funny, I just met another Amanda the other day," he said.

"Oh well, most people know me by Mandy," JJ said, "Shall we order?" She asked, using the key sentence that let the team know it was safe enough for them to move in.

Daniel sat with his back to the door, but knew something was going on. He got up quickly and stood behind JJ, pulling out a knife to hold against her throat. "You're a cop, aren't you?" He asked, his breath on her ear, sending shivers down JJ's spine.

She didn't reply, only stared at the people coming into the restaurants who had their guns pointed at them. She locked eyes with Reid, who was walking in the front. Her breathing hitched in her throat as Daniel pushed the blade further against her skin, cutting just lightly. She felt the blood trickle down her throat and closed her eyes.

"Daniel Simmons, put the knife down," Rossi spoke, his voice calm and soothing. "You know there is no way you're going to get out of here alive," he said, his gun aimed at the man's chest.

"I can take her with me," Daniel replied with a sly grin on his face.

Reid took a step forward, "It wouldn't be right though, would it?" He said, keeping his eyes on JJ. "She doesn't see you as you see yourself; you have to make her see you, don't you?"

Daniel shook his head, "No time for that," he replied as he cut just slightly deeper, causing JJ to moan.

Hotch nodded towards Morgan, "Do you have a clear shot?" He asked.

Morgan shook his head, "Reid does, we need to get his attention focused on us so Reid can take him out," he whispered as they were standing more to the back, out of reach for the UnSub to hear them.

"Daniel," Hotch said, causing the man to turn to him slightly, giving Reid a perfect shot.

Hotch didn't have to say anything else as he heard a shot ring out. He let out a relieved sigh and rushed forward, patting Reid on his shoulder. He kicked the knife away from the UnSub and grabbed his handcuffs, turning the man on his stomach. "Daniel Simmons, you're under arrest," he said before reading him his Miranda-rights.

Reid dropped his gun and immediately went over to JJ, taking her in his arms as she cried. "Keep the pressure on it," he said, ripping off part of his dress shirt and pressing it to her throat. "You're gonna be fine," he said, though it was more to convince himself than her.

JJ clung to him as she sobbed. She was in shock at this moment and all she could do was take shaky breaths.

"Breathe deep in through your nose," Reid said, holding her close to him. He felt rage for the man that was taken out of the restaurant right now and wished he had aimed higher than the man's shoulder. He knew this was the correct way to have handled things, but seeing JJ crying and hurt made him feel nothing but rage inside. "Come on, let's take you to the medics," he said, helping her to her feet and guiding her outside to where the ambulance was waiting.

JJ calmed down slightly as the paramedic cleaned her wound and put a bandage on it. She was glad she wouldn't need stitches. She looked up at Reid who was still by her side. "Thank you," she whispered, reaching out to take his hand.

Reid nodded and squeezed her hand. "I would've done it again in a heartbeat, and this time I wouldn't have missed," he teased, with a serious undertone in his voice.

JJ smiled softly as the paramedic allowed her to get up again. She took a step closer to Reid and wrapped her arms around him, needing to feel him close to her. "I'm glad you were there, glad that you had my back," she said, rubbing her hands over his back.

"Always," Reid responded, resting his head on top of her head. "I'm never going to let you get hurt ever again," he said, closing her eyes. _Ever._

* * *

**TBC**


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews, I love reading them! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter just as much as you've enjoyed the story so far. Sorry it's a little bit shorter; it's sort of an in-between chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 15**

_I was just guessing at numbers and figures  
Pulling the puzzles apart  
Questions of science, science and progress  
Do not speak as loud as my heart  
-__- The Scientist by Coldplay_

Reid let out a deep sigh when he looked out of the window of the jet. He hadn't been able to find any rest ever since they had been able to capture the UnSub and save JJ. He couldn't help but remember the emotion he had felt when he was last in a similar situation, only then the result was far worse. He felt a pang of guilt hit his chest as he realized seeing JJ in the arms of an UnSub hurt him far worse than seeing Maeve at the wrong side of the gun.

He didn't notice Blake sitting down opposite him, too absorbed in his own thoughts, his own misery. When she cleared her throat he sat up straight, startled. When he saw the friendly face he breathed a sigh of relief, he wasn't sure if he was able to face JJ at this moment, things might be too awkward.

"How are you holding up?" Blake asked, her voice holding concern for her colleague. They hadn't worked together for a long time, but she felt the need to protect him, like an older sister might. "Your mind seems occupied."

Reid nodded, frowning slightly, thinking about how to phrase what he was going to say next. "It's always difficult seeing a friend endangered like that," he said, settling on an empty statement. He wasn't ready to share his confusion with her; he would have to get to know her just a little bit better. If she'd been Emily, he would've opened up in a heartbeat.

Blake smiled gently and nodded, she knew something more was going on beneath his cool demeanor, but decided not to push him. He would eventually warm up to here and they'd hopefully be able to have a closer work-relationship. "Just to let you know, I'm here whenever you feel like talking," she said, nodding to emphasize her words.

Reid looked down at the table for a moment before nodding and looking up at her, "Thank you, I appreciate that," he said, figuring that that was the most appropriate and polite answer in this situation.

Blake decided to leave it at that and got up, giving Reid time with his own thoughts again.

Maeve would've known just what to say right now to make him feel better, Reid mused as he watched the plane descend towards DC. No matter the topic, Maeve would always know how to help him and how to point him in the right direction. He wished to be able to talk to her right now and ask her how to deal with JJ and helping her and Henry. He let out another deep sigh and closed his eyes, preparing for their arrival.

* * *

"Mommy!" Henry squealed as he freed himself from his grandmother's arms, making a run towards the front door. He wrapped his arms tightly around JJ's legs.

She dropped her go-bag instantly and picked her son up, hugging her little boy close to her. "Henry, I missed you so much baby boy," she whispered, burying her head in his curls for a moment. She took in the smell of his shampoo and felt tears burn in her eyes momentarily. She pulled back just slightly and pressed a kiss to Henry's forehead.

Henry scrunched his nose, "Mommy, no kissy," he protested and started to struggle in her arms to be put down.

JJ chuckled slightly, putting her boy back on the floor and standing up to meet her mother. "Thank you mom for keeping an eye on him," she said, hugging her mother shortly.

Sandy smiled as she watched Henry climb onto the couch to watch some TV before bedtime. She grabbed her daughter's hand and directed her to the kitchen to talk.

"Can't this wait mom? I'd actually like to sit down with Henry, bathe him and put him to bed with a story," she said, looking over her shoulder at the little boy nestled on the couch watching Dora.

"Jennifer, please," Sandy said, setting her daughter down at the kitchen table, pouring two glasses of wine. "Henry is so sad not having his dad around," she said and took a sip, "I don't think you're making the right decision for him."

"That's the point mom," JJ said, pinching the bridge of her nose, "I have to make the right decision for the both of us. Henry doesn't realize the situation he's in. If I would… try and stay with Will…" she swallowed the tears away, "we would not be able to give him a loving environment."

Sandy sighed, "But sweetheart, dad and I didn't have it easy either, but after… after what happened to your sister…" she choked up, "things just weren't the same afterwards and when he… passed away and it was just the two of us… I felt like a failure."

JJ reached out a hand to wipe away her mother's tears. "I know mom, but you weren't… aren't a failure. You did the best you could and look how that turned out. I'm sure Henry and I will be able to manage and besides… he'd have enough men around him to grow up with 'manly' things," she said, remembering Reid's phrasing.

Sandy smiled sadly and walked around the table, wrapping her arms tightly around her daughter. "I love you Jennifer, I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"You have to let me make my own decisions mom, even if you think it's a mistake. I'll have to do it and find out myself if it's a mistake or not. I promise you Henry and I will be fine," she whispered, convincing herself as well.

"Alright, I'll try. If you need me, you know I'm always here for you sweetheart," Sandy said, kissing the top of JJ's head.

"I know… Mom?" JJ asked. "Why can't you ever say Cayleigh's name? You always refer to her as my 'sister' and your 'daughter'."

Sandy didn't reply, tearing up. "I… I just miss her so much Jenny, saying her name makes it so much palpable that she's not around here. It makes me remember what she did and…" she choked, allowing the tears to freely fall from her eyes now.

JJ hugged her mother tightly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she whispered, her own tears burning in her eyes. "You know what, we're going to have some more wine after I get Henry to bed. You're staying here tonight and I'll drop you off tomorrow morning, alright?"

With a smile Sandy wiped her tears away, "Thank you sweetheart," she said, kissing her daughter's forehead. "I love you so much."

"I love you too mom," JJ replied before turning and heading to the living room. "Come on bud, time for bed," she said and picked up Henry from the couch, carrying him up the stairs. "I love you baby boy," she whispered.

* * *

**TBC**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_Don't hold it back,  
Take the chance you missed  
Don't hold it back,  
Fill the emptiness  
- Fingertips by Camel  
_

"Yeah?" Reid said as he picked up his cell phone, setting his mug of coffee on the table. It was JJ asking him if he wanted to go to the zoo with her, Henry and Garcia. He smiled at Henry's thoughtfulness, but he had made plans to go visit Maeve's grave one last time today. He had decided it was better to stop visiting daily in order for him to move on. "I'd love to," he replied, "I have some errands to run, I can be there in an hour, is that okay?" When JJ said that was perfect, he said his goodbyes and hung up the phone.

He took a large sip from his coffee and got up, straightening his clothes. He grabbed his coat and made sure to lock his apartment behind him as he went down the stairs.

Within ten minutes he'd arrived at the cemetery. He grabbed the rose from the passenger seat and made his way towards Maeve's grave stone. He replaced the old rose with the new one and sat down on the grass, cross-legged. "Hi Maeve," he started, feeling a bit sheepish, "I uhm… I've been away on a case for a few days so I wasn't able to visit. I brought you… an uhm… a rose, I'm afraid for the last time. I need to uhm… get back out there, start moving on. I'm… grateful for the time we've spent talking on the phone and writing, but it's over now. I need to move on."

He closed his eyes for a moment before getting up, placing his hand on her gravestone. "Goodbye Maeve, it has been a pleasure knowing you," he whispered before pulling away, returning to his car to go over to JJ's for a day at the zoo.

* * *

"Peaches!" Garcia exclaimed as JJ opened the front door. She enveloped her friend in a tight hug before making her way inside. "Henry still asleep?" She asked as she looked around.

JJ nodded, "He was beat, I figured I'd let him sleep just a little bit longer, it's going to be an exciting day for him. Can I get you anything, coffee?"

"I'd love some," Garcia replied as she sat down at the breakfast bar. "Where's our genius?"

JJ placed a mug of coffee in front of Garcia, sitting down next to her. "He's on his way, he had some errands to run, he'll probably be here shortly."

Garcia took a sip of coffee before turning slightly in her seat, to look at JJ. "You seem better, are you feeling better?" She asked, squeezing JJ's arm.

JJ nodded, "It's sort a relief you know, I'm confident that Henry and I can get through this. We will need your help and Spencer's help, but we'll be okay. My mom is planning on moving closer, even though she seems not too happy that Will and I are over," she replied.

"Well, as long as you're happy about that, or at least relieved, that's all that counts. I will help you wherever I can, I'm sure junior G-man will as well," Garcia said with a knowing smile.

"What's that grin?" JJ asked, raising her eyebrow as she took a sip of her own coffee.

Garcia chuckled a little bit, "Come on Jayje, haven't you noticed the changes?"

"What changes, what are you talking about?"

"Reid…" Garcia started, staring at her friend. "Come on girlfriend, his feelings for you are still there, they're coming back to the surface now that he's moving on. He really likes you peaches."

JJ blushed and looked down. She had felt the difference, but figured it was just because of her feelings for him were changing. "Really?" She asked, taking another large gulp of her coffee, coughing when she choked on the liquid.

Garcia patted her back, "Really Jayje, and I have a sneaking suspicion you have been thinking differently about him as well," she said, giving her friend a sneaky smile. "Am I right?"

"I…" JJ started, the blush more intense now, "I enjoy spending time with Spencer, he's a very good friend," she replied, hoping Garcia would let it slide.

"But you're hoping he might become more than just a good friend?" Garcia asked with a large grin on her face, she enjoyed torturing her friend like this, trying to get information out of her.

"Garcia…" JJ warned, indicating that she did not want her friend to poke any further, "I'm… figuring out what it is exactly I'm feeling," she admitted, finishing her coffee and smiling when she heard a little voice at the top of the stairs. _Saved by the bell_, she thought to herself, getting up to help Henry.

* * *

"I'll open it," Garcia called up the stairs as she heard the doorbell. She walked over, peeking through the peephole. She grinned as she saw Reid standing on the other side; she was going to have so much fun today. She swung the door open with a flair for the dramatic, "If that isn't my favorite genius," she greeted, stepping aside to let Reid in.

Reid fumbled with his coat, looking around, "Where are JJ and Henry?"

"Upstairs, JJ is getting him out of bed and in some clothes," Garcia said, "Coffee?" She asked, motioning Reid to follow her to the kitchen.

Reid sat down at the breakfast bar with a mug of coffee Garcia had poured him. He felt lighter at heart; it seemed as if the burden of guilt had dropped from his shoulders after saying farewell to Maeve.

Garcia noticed the change in him and smiled, this would definitely work to her advantage today. She was going to make sure that JJ and Reid had some time together at the zoo; she would take care of Henry. It would give them the opportunity to talk.

"So…" Garcia started, "You seem happy today, excited to be spending time with our favorite godson?"

"We only have one godson," Reid reminded her matter-of-factly, frowning, not quite sure what she was getting at. When it clicked he gave a goofy smile, "I guess I am feeling better," he admitted.

Garcia smiled, "I'm glad," she said, "Would our beautiful blonde friend have something to do with that?" She enquired.

Reid blushed a deep shade of red, "J-JJ? W-What do you mean?"

"Well, she seems to be enjoying spending time with you and I'm pretty sure you feel the same way," Garcia said, giving Reid a little wink. "I'm not judging you or anything, I'm happy for you, truly," she said, patting his back when JJ and Henry descended the stairs.

JJ frowned slightly at Reid's blush before setting Henry down on the floor.

"Are you ready to go big boy?" Garcia asked, kneeling down next to Henry. "What do you want to see first?"

JJ blushed slightly as she walked over to Reid, "I'm glad you could make it," she said gently, "Henry has been looking forward to this." She ruffled her son's hair and smiled down at him. "Shall we?"

An hour later the four of the where standing in front of the elephants which were Henry's favorite animals after dinosaurs. Garcia grabbed the little boy's hand and stood together with him, turning to look at JJ. "Why don't you go grab some coffee, Henry and I will stay here just a little bit longer."

JJ looked sideways at Reid before casting another glance at Garcia. She could see what her friend was trying to do and for once she decided not to fight it. She and Reid hadn't had a really proper conversation after what had happened that night at her place and after the case they'd had. She wanted to thank him for saving her life and she wanted to talk to him about what she had done. "I guess that sounds like a good idea," she said and placed her hand on Reid's arm. "Could you come help me?" She asked.

Reid frowned slightly, "Sure uhm… yeah," he said, following her to the coffee corner to grab some coffee for the three of them and some lemonade for Henry.

When they reached it, JJ pulled him to the site to one of the picnic tables. "Let's sit for a moment and talk," she said, sitting down and motioning for Reid to do the same. At his frown she smiled, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. "I just wanted to say thank you again for saving my life back in Omaha, I didn't feel I did that properly."

"JJ," Reid started but she held up her hand.

"Let me talk first," she said and took a deep breath, trying to think of how she was going to phrase everything.

* * *

**TBC**


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Once again, thank you all for taking the time to read and review. JJ and Reid will have a talk in this chapter, but don't expect everything to go all peachy from here. We're not entirely there yet, or should I say: they're not…

* * *

**Chapter 17**

_Why worry  
There should be laughter after pain  
There should be sunshine after rain  
These things have always been the same  
So why worry now  
Why worry now_

_- Why worry by Dire Straits_

JJ took a deep breath and looked at Reid, "I uhm… I'm not quite sure where to start. If Garcia hadn't put me up to this," she said, smiling at Reid's frown, "Guess she talked to you too huh?" At his nod she continued. "Lately, spending time with you, I've… I've really enjoyed that and uhm… it stirred some old feelings so to speak."

Reid frowned, looking down at his hands on the picnic table. "JJ…"

"Those feelings go back a long way, but I guess I just buried them when I met Will and then things just… sort of became impossible. I had a family, you had Maeve…" JJ said, taking another deep breath, "Ever since what happened, to both of us, I just… I noticed some feelings are starting to resurface. I'm not sure what to do now…" She admitted. She couldn't act on the feelings just yet, most definitely not if Reid didn't return them.

Reid kept silent for a moment, absorbing what JJ had just told him. She had had feelings for him and she was starting to feel them again. _So Garcia was right,_ he thought to himself. On the one hand he was ecstatic at JJ's confession, but on the other hand he was scared. Would they work?

"Spence, please… say something?" JJ asked, feeling her heart beat in her throat. She was nervous now that she had put it out there.

"I uhm…" Reid frowned, "I'm not sure what to say JJ," he admitted, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't think it's a surprise to you when I tell you I used to have uhm… quite the crush on you," he said and blushed a deep crimson.

JJ allowed a small smile to appear on her face, nodding to encourage him.

"And then you and Will got together, had Henry and I just settled for second best. I'm fine with that JJ, I still am but… ever since Maeve's passing… I just… I feel like I'm abandoning her by allowing those old feelings to resurface," he said, using the same word JJ had.

JJ reached out her hand and placed it on Reid's, "I'm sorry for bringing this up Spence," she whispered. "We uhm… we can talk when you're ready." She went to get up but didn't when Reid took her hand in his.

"You didn't kiss me because you were tipsy, did you?" He asked, looking at her intently.

JJ looked down, shaking her head, "I uhm… I was struggling with those emotions and I thought by… kissing you I could see if these emotions were real."

"Were they?"

"Yes…" JJ whispered, closing her eyes, not daring to look up at his eyes just yet. "I'll uhm… I'll give you some time for all this to sink in," she said, getting up. "At least Garcia got what she wanted, didn't she?" She said, attempting to joke around a bit.

Reid nodded warily, not quite sure how to respond. "I uhm… I guess so."

In the midst of their awkwardness they managed to buy coffee for the three of them and some juice for Henry.

* * *

Upon their return Garcia winked knowingly at them as she saw they both had flushed cheeks. She accepted the coffee gracefully and smiled at Henry as he thanked his mother for the juice. "Thank you so much lovelies," she said.

JJ kneeled down and gave Henry the juice-box, "So big guy, where do you want to go next?"

Henry took a large sip of his juice and shrugged, looking up at Reid. "Where do you want to go Unca 'Pence?"

Reid opened his mouth to say something, amazed for a moment by Henry's generosity. Normally Henry wouldn't hesitate to go see the hippos or any other large animal. But that little boy had so much room in his heart to care about others and to do what somebody else would want. He stood there for a moment with his mouth agape, impressed by his godson once again.

"I uhm… I think I'd like to go see the hippos, Henry, what about you?" He replied, kneeling down next to his godson.

Henry shook his head, "You don want to, I wan to. Where do you wan go Unca 'Pence?"

Reid swallowed as he felt tears burn in his eyes at the love he felt for his little boy. "I uhm… I would like to go see the otters," he said, deciding those animals would give him an opportunity to teach Henry something.

The little boy nodded as he walked in front of the three adults, leading the way.

Garcia walked next to JJ, bumping her shoulder slightly. "So, what did you tell him?" She whispered, looking sideways at her friend as both Reid and Henry had a faster pace, leaving them behind slightly.

JJ chuckled, "You and your curiosity Pen, you know… curiosity killed the cat," she sat and smirked slightly. At Garcia's intense stare she let out a small sigh. "I uhm… said something about old feelings resurfacing," she said slowly.

Garcia's eyes widened, "Oohh…" she started, excitedly, "What did he say? Does he have similar feelings?"

After a few seconds JJ nodded, "I… He's not ready to act on anything though," she said, "He feels guilty towards Maeve."

"That's understandable… But Jayje, he does return the feelings, do you know how exciting that is?" Garcia asked, almost unable to keep her excitement inside.

JJ blushed deeply, "It's uhm… it's quite something, isn't it?"

"Are you kidding?!" Garcia squealed, causing Reid to look over his shoulder and blush.

"Could you uhm… keep it down please?" JJ said, her cheeks flushing as well. "I want to give him some more time for now; you should lay off as well."

Garcia grinned, "Consider it done!"

* * *

Meanwhile Reid and Henry had arrived at the otter exhibit. Reid kneeled down next to Henry so he would be able to see the same things as the little boy. "Do you see them in the water Henry?" He asked, excited to see how Henry was enjoying himself.

Henry nodded vigorously, "Why don't he move Unca 'Pence?"

"He's sleeping Henry, see how his eyes are closed?" At Henry's nod Reid smiled, seeing how another otter was floating right next to the one he had just pointed out. "You see that, the otter has a little friend." Reid smiled as he saw Henry watching intently.

"What are they doing?" Henry asked, confused as he saw the otters floating right next to each other, their paws touching.

"They're holding hands Henry, something animals usually don't do. It means they love each other," he smiled, looking sideways at Henry.

Henry nodded and watched for a little while. "You love my mommy Unca 'Pence?"

Reid frowned, confused slightly. "I uhm… why do you ask that buddy?"

"I see you holdin' hands," Henry replied, shrugging slightly. "Daddy don't hold mommy's hand so daddy don't love her, right Unca 'Pence?"

Reid swallowed the lump in his throat at Henry's confession. Then he nodded, "I do Henry, I do love your mommy," he whispered. What he didn't realize was that in the time the two of them had been at the exhibit JJ and Garcia had caught up to them and that right at this moment Garcia was standing behind him with her hand clasped tightly over her open mouth.

* * *

**TBC**


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thank you all so much for your continued support, I'm really glad you liked the last chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 18**

_We were strangers starting out on a journey  
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through  
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing  
At the beginning with you  
- At the beginning by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis_

"Jayje… peaches… earth to JJ?" Garcia said later as the two women were sitting in the living room of JJ's house. When her friend still didn't react she waved a hand in front of her face, causing JJ to jump slightly from her seat.

"Huh?" JJ asked, slightly disoriented as she looked at Garcia with a frown. "What is it?"

"W-What is it?" Garcia's eyes were wide as she faced JJ. "This was huge, do you realize that? Huge!"

The two women had decided not to say anything that afternoon because they were sure Reid hadn't realized they had caught on his words to Henry. Garcia had wanted to give him such a tight hug and to squeal, but JJ had stopped her. They would talk about this some other time and at a moment Reid was ready for it, which, JJ figured, was not that day.

JJ smiled slightly with a blush creeping up on her cheeks, "I do realize that Pen, don't you worry about that. It's just that… I want to let him be for now, y'know? It took a lot of him to confess what he did, first to me and then to Henry… I'm sure he needs some time to figure things out first."

"Maybe… but you know what, I'm gonna go home and when he comes back downstairs, you're gonna talk to him about what you heard," Garcia said as she got up from the couch with a grin. Granted she understood where JJ was coming from, but patience was just not to be found in her dictionary. She was overly excited about Reid's confession and couldn't wait until things would work out between her friends.

"Pen…" JJ warned her friend and was about to say more when she heard the stairs creak. Henry had insisted his Uncle Spence read him a story and tuck him in and Reid had most willingly obliged.

"Bye hun, bye g-man!" Garcia called as she gracefully walked out of the house.

Reid came down the stairs with a frown plastered on his face, "What was that all about?" He asked and went to stand in the middle of the living room, his hands tucked away in his pockets. He looked nervous.

JJ smiled gently, "Oh well, you know how she is," she said with a shrug. "Can I get you something to drink?" She asked, in an attempt to guide the conversation elsewhere.

"I uhm…" Reid paused for a moment. On the one hand he wanted to go home as soon as he could, to avoid any awkwardness, but on the other hand he wanted to share with her what Henry had said about his daddy not loving his mommy anymore. "A coffee would be nice," he said, frowning slightly.

JJ nodded and went into the kitchen to grab him a cup. She took some sugar with her to allow him to add it himself, she never knew how much to put in there exactly. She sat back down on the couch next to him, slightly nervous about how to act around him.

"Thank you," Reid said as he added sugar to his cup. "I uhm… I need to talk to you about something," he started nervously, fiddling with his hands.

JJ looked down at her lap, "I heard Spence. It's okay if you want some time to think about what you said, it's alright," she whispered.

Reid blushed a crimson red, realizing that JJ had heard him tell Henry he loved her. He swallowed and took a large gulp of coffee. "I… that's not entirely what I wanted to say," he said, frowning a bit. "Uhm… it's about what Henry said before that. He said that his mommy and daddy must not love each other anymore since they didn't hold hands."

JJ choked, tears welling in her eyes. Henry was so observant. She wondered what she was going to tell him. She clasped a hand over her mouth, trying to keep the tears from falling. She hated herself for putting her son in this situation. "Oh Spence, I… I'm sorry you've had to deal with that."

"It's okay JJ, he's a very smart little boy," Reid replied. He looked down at the cup of coffee in his hands and took another sip, not sure if he should bring up his statement again. JJ had said it could wait and he did want to think about what he'd told Henry, yet he felt it was a true emotion he was feeling. "JJ, what I said to Henry…"

JJ placed her hand on his arm, "Please Spence, now is not the time, I can feel it," she whispered, nodding as he looked at her. She had been almost as excited as Garcia had been when she heard him say those words, but she felt that talking about it right now was not the best thing to do. "Take your time, really."

Reid nodded a little bit to himself, frowning, "Thank you," he whispered in return, taking the last sip of coffee. "I uhm… I better get going, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow Spence, thank you for spending time with Henry today, he was very happy," she said, leaning in and kissing his cheek softly. As she saw him blush she could feel her cheeks getting warmer as well. She got up from the couch when he did and walked him to the front door, "Good night," she whispered as she let him out.

"Good night JJ," Reid replied as he walked back towards his car, getting in and starting the engine. He was happy it was only a short drive to his apartment. The only thing he wanted to do right now was take a hot shower and curl up in bed with a book. He let out deep sigh as he drove; events of today running through his mind.

* * *

Upon his arrival at the apartment building he got out of his car, carefully closing the door and locking it behind him. He crossed the dark parking lot quickly and took the stairs two steps at a time, as he went inside in record time. He turned on the light in the hallway and let out a relieved sigh, he hated coming home in the dark and having to enter a dark apartment. Part of him was always afraid something was going to happen, and being in this line of work he knew that the idea wasn't even that far-fetched.

After taking a long hot shower he dressed into a pair of comfortable pajama bottoms and put on his old Cal-tech t-shirt. He took the book from his nightstand and pulled the covers over his body, shivering. He opened the book and started reading, but unlike usually he had to start the first page a bunch of times.

He kept thinking back on what he had told Henry today about holding hands with his mommy. _Do I really love her?_

* * *

**TBC**


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: I'm going to torture all of you just a little while longer here!

* * *

**Chapter 19**

"Mommy!"

JJ let out a deep sigh and pushed the covers from her body. This was becoming a new ritual for them apparently. Henry having a bad nightmare, her getting up and taking him back to bed with her where they would sleep the last few hours until it was time to get up. She padded towards Henry's room, her feet bare and cold on the wooden floor. She stifled a yawn and opened the door, seeing Henry upright in his bed.

"It's alright baby," she whispered as she sat on the bed next to him. "Did you have another bad dream?"

Henry nodded vigorously, tears running down his cheeks. He was hiccupping from crying and held onto his mother tightly. "T-The mohohonster… he-he…"

She ran her hand through the boy's curls, resting her chin on top of his head. "Easy baby, calm down," she whispered, holding him close to her. "Mommy's right here, there is no monster." She picked Henry up and carried him back to the master bedroom and smiled as she saw him curl up under the covers on the other side of the bed. She slid in herself and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Feel better?"

"No…" Henry replied with a shake of his head. He looked at his mother with big eyes, tears about to spill once again.

She frowned and ran a hand over Henry's cheek, "What's wrong buddy, are you afraid you're going to have a bad dream again?" When Henry shook his head once more she held the boy even tighter to her. "You can tell me buddy, I will help you. Is it someone at school?"

"D-Daddy," Henry choked, "I miss daddy," he said, tears spilling on his cheeks again as he pulled away from his mother.

She could feel tears burn in her own eyes as she looked at Henry, who was now crying openly, his bottom lip trembling. She could kick herself for what she had put her little boy through, he didn't deserve his father to be taken away from him, he didn't ask for anything. "Baby…" she whispered. "Daddy is coming back baby, he is just on a short vacation right now," she said, pulling Henry in her lap.

The little boy looked up at her with hope in his eyes. _Now is as good a time as ever_, JJ thought to herself and took a deep breath. "Henry, daddy is not coming back to live here. He is going to buy a house really close to you so you can see him as much as you want to," she said, waiting for his reaction.

Henry took it surprisingly well, "He no leave me alone?"

She shook her head, "Oh no honey, he's not going to leave you alone. Mommy and daddy are going to live in their own home, so you will have two rooms."

He seemed to be okay with that prospect and nodded, "Okay," he replied, snuggling closer to his mother.

She realized this wasn't going to be the last time this topic came up, but she was glad he seemed alright with it. She kissed the top of his head and rocked him in her arms, slowly feeling that everything was going to be okay again.

"So do I have to pick a new daddy?" Henry asked, his brows furrowed slightly in deep thought.

"Oh no baby, it doesn't work like that," she replied, giving him a smile. "You already have a daddy remember?"

He nodded, "But I need a daddy here too, right?"

She smiled gently at him, "You don't have to buddy, we will be together now," she whispered.

"Can Unca 'Pence be my daddy too?"

She frowned slightly, "Sweetie, he is your uncle already…" she started, flabbergasted by how the mind of her boy worked to make the situation understandable for him.

"But I wan Unca 'Pence to be my daddy too, I like Unca 'Pence and Unca 'Pence love you," Henry replied, interrupting his mother. "Unca 'Pence is a nice daddy," he added, fighting against the sleep that was overtaking him. Slowly he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

JJ could feel her heart tighten at what Henry had said and closed her eyes, trying to catch some sleep herself before it was time to go into work in the morning.

* * *

Reid smiled shyly at JJ when she entered the round table room the next morning. He had had a lot of time to think about what it was he was feeling for her, and even though he had confessed that he loved her, he was still not sure what he was going to do. He was glad JJ had realized that and told him to wait until he was ready. If only he could talk to Maeve, she would know what he could do.

JJ smiled back softly as she sat down at the table. "So what's the rush Hotch?" She asked, hiding a yawn behind her hand. It was only seven in the morning, and usually it was an urgent case if their boss called them in at that hour.

"Seven disappearances in the past three months in Tulsa Oklahoma," Hotch replied matter-of-factly before looking at Garcia who was standing in front of the white screen.

Garcia cleared her throat, "Right, we have seven men, all turned up death four days after they were captured," she said, pulling up the photos of the men on the screen.

"Type seems consistent, short dark hair, blue eyes, athletic," Morgan commented as he swiped his finger over the screen of his iPad.

Garcia nodded, "All found within ten miles of their abduction sites," she said, showing pictures of the dumpsites. The men were badly beaten up, beyond the point of recognition.

"Brutal," Alex commented as she looked at the screen in horror, "I will never understand what drives someone to beat another person up this badly," she said as she shook her head. "How were they identified?"

"Dental records," Garcia said shortly, "Local police advised family members not to come in for identification. Not only because they wouldn't be able to recognize their loved ones but also because that's not how you want to remember someone."

"Wheels up in twenty, we'll discuss in more detail on the jet," Hotch said before leaving the round table room.

JJ lingered behind just slightly, hoping she'd catch a moment to talk to Reid. "Spence?" She asked, just loud enough for him to hear.

He turned around and looked at her, "What is it?" He replied, seeing in her eyes that something was going on. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, taking a step closer to them, looking around to make sure no one overheard. "I just wanted to… warn you about what Henry might ask you," she said, nervously fiddling with her hands. "Last night he had a nightmare and he said he missed his daddy…"

"I'm sorry JJ, if there's…" Reid started but JJ interrupted him. "I told him that we were going to live in different houses but that he could see his daddy as often as he wanted. He… he seemed to take it very well. Then he asked if he had to pick a new daddy to live with us…"

Within seconds things clicked in Reid's mind and he stared at JJ, mouth agape, "He… asked if I could…?" He asked, rambling nervously with a frown on his face.

"He did, so be prepared," JJ replied, nudging him slightly with a smile, trying to lighten the mood even though this was a huge deal.

Reid laughed slightly with her and then nodded, "I won't be surprised anymore, thank you," he said and opened the door, letting her go out first so they could grab their go-bag and make their way to the jet.

* * *

**TBC**


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Sorry for the slight delay on this. Thank you for reading and reviewing, I never thought I would get so many positive reactions to this story!

* * *

**Chapter 20**

On the jet Garcia handed out the team's iPads, pictures of the crime scenes loaded up on them. "Okay lovelies, we are heading towards Tulsa Oklahoma. Seven victims within a period of three months. All were taken and held for about three days before they were found and identified through dental records," Garcia spoke, guiding their attention towards the case.

Morgan was looking at the various crime scene pictures. "We already noticed the type of victim is consistent, way of disposition seems similar too."

Blake was frowning as she looked at the case files, "ME's confirmed all the victims were sexually abused…" she started, flipping through the files. "No DNA was found on their bodies."

"Nothing was found on the bodies, which suggest our UnSub is familiar with evidence and how to be careful not to leave behind anything," JJ replied and nodded.

"Which isn't too hard nowadays with all those crime shows on TV," Rossi chipped in.

Reid was frowning, flipping through the paper versions of the files Garcia had brought him. "Something doesn't quite add up," he murmured. "The strength it would take to abduct these men suggests we're dealing with a male UnSub, but if you look at the way the bodies were posed at the dump sites…"

Hotch looked around, "Which means we can be dealing with a couple maybe?"

"Maybe," Reid replied, continuing to look through the files.

"Alright, Dave, when we land I want you to visit the first two crime scenes," Hotch said and nodded towards Morgan, "take Morgan with you. JJ and Reid I would like you to visit the families of the first victims. Blake and I will meet with the local police and get Garcia set up."

* * *

Reid stood behind JJ as she knocked on the door of the relatives of the first victim, Tim Crowell. When a slightly petite woman with dark hair opened the door JJ smiled gently. "Miss Crowell? I'm special agent Jennifer Jareau with the FBI, this is my colleague Doctor Spencer Reid, may we come in?"

The woman nodded warily, opening the door wider for her visitors. "FBI? The sheriff told us he was going to do everything he could to catch this guy himself… Guess he wasn't able to," she said and motioned for them to sit down. "Can I get you anything?"

JJ and Reid both shook their heads simultaneously. Reid cleared his throat, "Miss Crowell, can you tell us about the day your husband disappeared?" He asked.

"Please, call me Sandra," the woman replied and nodded, taking a deep breath before walking them through the entire day. "When Bobby… the sheriff called me that they had found Tim," she whispered, a cry escaping her throat, "I knew something was wrong, something terrible…" She paused. "Those other six men… they were killed by the same monster, weren't they?"

JJ looked at Reid for a split second, "We have reason to believe so, yes."

Sandra Crowell clasped a hand over her mouth as she allowed tears to run over her cheeks. "He uhm… we were planning on starting a family after our marriage six months ago," she said, nodding towards a picture frame above the fire place. "He… I… I never got a chance to tell him it was going to be reality, that he was going to be a daddy," she whispered, tears running over her cheeks freely.

JJ felt a knot in her stomach as she reached out the grab the woman's hand. "I promise you, we will do everything in our power to catch the person that did this to your husband," she said and gave a reassuring smile.

* * *

When they went outside half an hour later JJ let out a deep sigh, and shook her head. "I can't imagine what that woman had to go through and is still going through," she said, looking up at Reid as she ran a hand through her hair. "Just imagine not being able to tell something that important to someone you love."

Reid nodded a bit to himself, "I uhm… I can actually," he whispered sadly. "I never got to tell Maeve I loved her, even though she'd told me before," he said and looked at JJ. "Now I'm starting to think that… maybe I just wasn't ready to say those words, what if I didn't truly love her JJ?"

JJ felt her chest tighten at his comment and remembered the ease with which he had told Henry he loved her. "I'm sure you did Spence, but it's just hard saying those words to someone you haven't met face to face, maybe that's the reason?" She offered.

"Maybe…" Reid replied, nodding his head slightly as they walked towards the black SUV. He wondered for a moment if maybe he hadn't been able to tell Maeve he loved her because JJ was still there in the back of his mind, along with the love he felt for her. He wanted to bring the topic back to discussion, but he knew she wouldn't react to it, insisting he take his time. For a short moment he tried to figure out if that was maybe because she wasn't quite ready to talk about it yet.

They spent the drive towards the Tulsa police station in relative silence. JJ was driving, humming along with the song on the radio. Reid was looking out of the window, trying not to startle her as she quietly started to sing. He wanted to tell her she had a beautiful singing voice, but knew for sure she would be embarrassed and he would never get to listen to her again.

When her favorite song ended JJ turned to Reid for a second, "You are quiet, are you alright?"

Reid nodded, "Oh yeah. Yeah I'm fine. I was just uhm… enjoying the… view," he said, blushing instantly.

"The view? You sure?" JJ teased him as they were driving a very average road at the moment.

"In a way," Reid admitted, blushing even more.

His comment made JJ blush a bright red as well as she focused her eyes on the road. "Do you think we're dealing with a couple?" She asked, deciding to turn their attention back to the case at hand.

Reid looked at her for a minute before looking at the road as well, "It's definitely a possibility," he said, "A woman alone wouldn't have been able to pull this off, she'd need a man's help to capture the victims and to get rid of the bodies," he reasoned.

"Do you think a woman abused the men… raped them?" JJ asked, feeling almost sick to her stomach at the idea.

"It seems that way," Reid replied, "The question is why." He was hardly surprised by the level of violence this UnSub portrayed, they had seen far worse, but a woman raping men was still rare in their book.

JJ shivered at the thought as she parked the car in front of the police station. _It's now or never JJ_, she thought to herself as she faced Reid. "Spence?" She asked when he was about to leave the car.

"Yeah?"

"When we get back home… will you uhm… go out to dinner with me, so we can uhm… talk about everything?" She asked, blushing and fiddling nervously with her hands. She felt like an insecure teenage girl who just asked out the popular quarterback. Reality, however, was that she wanted to talk to him about the feelings between them and how they should go about that in the near future.

Reid sat flabbergasted for a short moment, his mouth slightly agape, "I uhm… on a date?"

JJ nodded, "Yeah, a date… or if you don't feel comfortable I can cook?"

"How about I cook… for a date?" Reid offered.

"You cook?"

"Why is everybody always that surprised," Reid wondered out loud. "Is… Is that a yes?"

JJ nodded with a smile, "Yes, yes it's a date," she said and reached out to squeeze his hand gently.

"Good… a date," Reid replied and couldn't help but smile at the warm feeling that filled him up inside at that word.

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

A/N: I feel a bit 'meh' about this chapter, I'm starting to get a small writers block due to the case I feel I need to write. Don't worry, I'll figure things out and the next chapter should be up within a few days, like usually


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Soooo sorry about taking this long, I hope it won't happen again!

* * *

**Chapter 21**

Just a few hours later the team reconvened at the police station. Reid was enjoying a large mug of coffee with a tremendous amount of sugar, while JJ held a large cup of steaming hot tea. "So what do we know so far?" She asked, looking around the room at her colleagues.

"Besides the fact we're dealing with a sick and twisted mind?" Morgan asked as he took a sip of coffee.

"Don't we always," Rossi replied before taking a deep breath to share his thoughts. "We first thought we were dealing with a couple of a male and a female, but after our talk with the ME," he nodded towards Morgan before continuing, "we are convinced we're dealing with a woman on her own. All victims have an injection mark on the back of their neck."

Hotch nodded, "By sedating them they wouldn't try to fight back," he agreed.

"But then how does she get them to where she wants them, I mean, these men aren't extremely large, but still too heavy to lift or pull for a woman of average size," JJ commented as she looked at Blake for confirmation.

The other woman nodded, "We have training and I doubt we would be able to lift these men into a car."

"You could always try, I'll volunteer," Morgan teased and gave the women a wink.

Blake let out a low chuckle, "Not a chance, you're heavier than our victims, no offense," she said and shook her head.

Morgan laughed, "You're right, they're closer to Reid's weight."

"What?" Reid replied, having missed the discussion that was going on.

"Hey JJ, try to lift Reid out of his chair," Morgan said and nudged her.

Hotch cleared his throat the moment JJ and Reid both felt the blood rush to their cheeks, coloring the skin slightly red, something that didn't go unnoticed by Blake. "Guys, back to the profile… please," their boss said.

Rossi nodded, an amused smile on his face, "Okay, so possibly a woman alone targeting men with brown hair and blue eyes," he said. "The men are all between twenty-five and thirty-five."

"Which means our UnSub is probably between twenty and thirty," JJ nodded, "Something must have happened to her for her to be targeting these men, someone hurt her and the victims resemble that guy."

"I uhm… I'd say she was raped," Reid said, frowning slightly. "She is trying to let these men feel what she felt when that happened to her."

"Could very well be, but how do we catch her?" Hotch said and looked around at his team.

Morgan nodded and took another sip of coffee, "Well, never underestimate the power of Garcia," he said, "but we don't have very much to go on."

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose, "Well we need something fast, we wouldn't want another victim on our hands."

"Uhm… actually another victim would be helpful for a geographical profile…" Reid started but quickly shook his head, "No that came out wrong, we wouldn't want another victim…" He blushed.

Their boss frowned at their youngest team member, "Alright, Reid work out the geographical profile, JJ and Morgan, visit family of victim number two, Rossi, you can help out Garcia while Blake and I talk to the third victim's family. Back in two hours."

* * *

"Will I am so sorry, this is going to be a long case, are you sure you can stay with Henry? I could always ask my mom…" JJ said as she sat on the edge of the hotel bed.

"_It's fine cher, I love spending time with our little bud, don't worry about it,"_ Will replied as he ran a hand over his face, looking sideways at his girlfriend. He had brought her with him for the first time so she could meet Henry. Now that he was talking to JJ he felt slightly guilty at not having conferred this with her beforehand. _"There's uhm… something I need to confess to you,"_ he started.

JJ frowned, "What is it Will, something with Henry?"

"_Well technically no…"_ Will started, standing up and pacing around the living room. "_I brought Emma with me to meet Henry,_" he said, saying it quickly like a band-aid.

JJ's eyes widened as she clasped a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't say the words that were clouding together in her mind at the moment. "You what?!" She hissed, "I can't believe you, why would you do that this soon? He is just getting used to not having you around anymore!"

Will pinched the bridge of his nose, _"It's not like I'm doing anything different here, Henry told me he was going to ask his uncle Spencer to be his new daddy,"_ he shot right back at her, putting emphasis on the 'uncle'.

"Will that's not fair and you know it. Spence and I have been helping each other out and Henry… interpreted it his way. If that's how he wants to deal with it that's fine, but I'm not introducing a new romantic relationship here," she defended.

"_Aren't you?"_ Will replied matter-of-factly, walking out of the room for a moment, leaving Emma behind on the couch. _"Look, this is clearly not the right moment to discuss this, let's uhm… let's talk when you get back,"_ he said.

JJ let out a deep sigh, nodding a little bit with the phone to her ear, "Fine, fine we'll talk," she said and said her goodbyes. She ran a hand over her face, anger still floating through her veins as she thought about what Will was doing to Henry, putting him through something this confusing. Henry was a smart kid, but this would be hard on him.

After sitting on the bed for a few minutes, staring ahead she decided to go downstairs to the hotel lobby for a small drink, hoping that would help her sleep. She grabbed her purse and headed down the hallway, almost bumping into Reid on the way to the elevator. "Spence? What are you doing here?"

Reid turned, surprised to see her, "I uhm… couldn't focus on my reading, figured I'd walk around a bit," he said, frowning slightly as he looked at her face. He could sense something was going on, but wasn't sure if he should probe. "Are you okay?" He asked, settling on a safe question.

JJ shook her head, knowing she could talk to him about this and that he would help her in any way he could. "I had a chat with Will to tell him it was going to be a longer case. He uhm… he told me he introduced his new girlfriend to Henry."

"This soon, JJ that's… Henry is going to be so confused," Reid replied, utterly shocked at the carelessness of William LaMontagne. "If you want to go home and be with Henry I'm sure Hotch would understand."

"It'll be fine Spence, Henry's a smart kid. Besides, what's done is done. I'll talk to him as soon as we get back and after that I'm going to give Will a piece of my mind," she said, clenching her teeth for a moment as she tried to get her anger under control. "He said I was doing the same thing, Henry told him that he was going to ask you to be his new daddy."

"I uhm… he might have a very small point," Reid replied, but quickly kept silent at JJ's glare.

JJ turned to look at Reid as they reached the hotel lobby. "Can I come with you on your walk?" She asked, suddenly not feeling like sitting alone at the hotel bar anymore, despite her earlier thoughts.

Reid furrowed his brows, blushing slightly, "Sure, it's nothing fancy though, I'm afraid I can't tell you much about the sights," he rambled.

"Don't worry about that," JJ smiled as she walked through the door Reid held open for her.

For a few minutes they walked quietly until they reached a small and well lit park. "Do you want to sit down for a moment?" Reid asked, pointing towards the bench near the edge of the park.

JJ nodded and set down next to him, letting out a small sigh. "Do you think Henry will be okay?" She whispered; her voice wavering a bit as she felt another surge of guilt hit her. "What if he is going to view that… woman," she decided on instead of using a harsher word, "what if he feels she's a mommy to him. A mommy who's home more than his own mother?"

Reid wasn't quite sure how to console her, but slowly wrapped an arm around her, "Don't go down that road of destructive thoughts JJ. You are his mother and he's never going to trade you for another woman, no matter how much time he spends with her," he said.

JJ leaned into Reid's side and nodded, "I know, you're probably right," she said.

"I'm always right," Reid teased and grinned widely at her. His gaze turned more serious as their eyes locked.

JJ looked deeply into his eyes and smirked, "What if I told you you were going to kiss me, would I be right then?"

Reid blushed a deep red and nodded, "Most definitely," he whispered as he closed the small distance between them, capturing her lips with his own. He felt his heartbeat quicken as she wrapped his arms around her.

JJ closed her eyes and tilted her head to allow him easier access, opening her mouth as his tongue ran along her lower lip. She let out a small encouraging moan as her hand found the side of his face. All thoughts about granting him time to get everything together flew right out the window at this moment. She realized now that he was the one she wanted and she wanted him now.

With his arms still around her Reid pulled back slowly, his eyes remaining closed for just a short moment before he opened them to look at her. "Wow…" he whispered, a little short of breath. He blushed at the feelings running through him. "I uhm… That was… I guess I…," He kept continuing to start sentences, not sure what to say.

"Just… shut up," JJ grinned as she captured his lips with her in another passionate kiss.

* * *

**TBC**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Neither Reid nor JJ said anything on the walk back to the hotel they were currently staying in. When they reached the front door to the lobby Reid held open the door for JJ, allowing her to go in first. She turned around, waiting for him and shot him a shy smile. "I'll see you in the morning," she whispered, looking around to see if any of their team members were downstairs. She was glad not to see any familiar faces and stood on tiptoes to give him a quick peck on his cheek, "goodnight," she whispered before walking towards the elevator.

Reid remained standing in the lobby for a moment, his cheeks flushed a bright red. He kept running the events of just a few minutes ago through his mind, the look in JJ's eyes as she told him he was going to kiss her, the smell of her hair and skin, the softness of her lips… He shook his head and made his way towards the elevators, happy to see that JJ had already gone up to her floor. Things between them would probably be even more awkward due to the recent development, but he felt confident this was a change for the better.

He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to his floor, closing his eyes for a moment as he listened to the soft music in the elevator. It was now way past midnight and he could feel his body protesting. He was physically getting tired, but doubted he was able to give his mind a rest tonight. He stepped off at his floor, put the key in the door and went in, turning on the light. He flopped down on the bed, not bothering to change. His clothes smelled faintly of her and he allowed the scent to bring back the memory of their kiss.

* * *

When the phone in his hotel room rang for his seven a.m. wake up call, Reid was still wide awake on top of the covers. He ran a hand over his face and hoped his friends wouldn't notice something was going on. After getting up he looked at himself in the mirror, glad to see that the skin around his eyes looked just like it always did and didn't betray his lack of sleep.

After grabbing a pop tart from his go-bag – he always kept them in his bag to soothe his sweet tooth – he walked towards the elevators, pressing the button and stepping in when it arrived at his floor. His eyes widened as he saw a certain blonde in the corner of the elevator. "JJ… hi," he greeted and gave a sheepish smile.

"Good morning Spence, did you have a good night's sleep?" JJ asked, remembering how she had kept tossing and turning in her bed that night. She smiled gently at him and took a step closer, reaching out her hand and brushing it over the corner of his mouth. "You had a little crumb…" she said, blushing, at his frown.

"Oh…" Reid replied and brushed his hand across his mouth, not finding any other crumbs. "I uhm… slept quite alright," he lied, looking down at his feet, relieved when they reached the ground floor of the hotel.

JJ kept her lip to keep from smiling, she could see he hadn't slept at all, something she was happy to notice since she hadn't slept either herself. "Can I order you some coffee while we wait for the others?" She asked, pointing towards the breakfast room.

Reid nodded, "Thank you, that'd be great," he said as he sat down in the lobby, his messenger bag on his lap. He took a deep breath when JJ left and tried to focus on what they were going to do today. He let out a small yelp when he felt Morgan's hand on his shoulder.

"You alright kid?" Morgan asked as he flopped down in the armchair next to Reid. "You're kind of… jumpy this morning," he said and smirked.

"I'm fine," Reid squeaked, glad to see JJ was coming back with their coffee.

Morgan looked from Reid to JJ and then to the coffee. "If only I'd gotten down here earlier," he said and shook his head. He could sense something was going on between his two friends, something had changed. He was determined to find out what it was and despite the promise they'd all made, decided he would find out by profiling them throughout the day.

JJ looked truly sorry, "I could get you one if you want Morgan," she replied as she sat down, placing her mug of coffee on the small coffee table.

"Don't worry about it," Morgan said as he crossed his legs at his ankles. "I'll get some coffee, if we can call it that, at the police station," he grinned and looked up when he saw Rossi, Hotch, Blake and Garcia enter the lobby. "Hey baby girl, looking good," he commented with a flirty voice.

"All for you my mocha," Garcia replied playfully and looked at the others in the lobby. She tried to catch JJ's eye and then Reid's and smirked when neither of them would look at her. She would have to talk to JJ today, she decided.

Hotch cleared his throat, "Alright guys, our plan for today is to share the profile with the police department, finish the geographical profile and hopefully close in on our UnSub," he said as they walked towards the rental SUVs.

JJ and Reid walked in the back of the group, and cast occasional glances at each other. They could feel that the kiss they shared the night before still hung in the air between them and both wanted to do nothing more than repeat it. Reid blushed slightly as he heard how Garcia cleared her throat, turning back to look at them. "Junior G-man…" she started, "Do you need any information in order to finish the geographical profile?" She asked, hoping she'd be able to sneak him into the computer room and to subject him to her method of questioning.

Reid frowned a little bit, "What do you mean Garcia? I don't have enough to make it definitive yet, if that's what you mean. Statistically we'd need another victim in order for the profile to be trustworthy," he rambled. He paused for a moment, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to have some more information on the victims. Their jobs, venues they frequented, where they did their groceries, you know the drill."

Garcia nodded, "Well, let's get right on that when we get to the station," she said and hopped in the car next to JJ in the backseat. Morgan was driving the car and Reid was in the passenger seat. She knew Derek had been able to feel the tension between her two friends as well, so now would be a good a time as ever to confront the two of them. "So lovelies…" she started, "spill. Tell us what is going on with you two."

Reid blushed slightly, something that didn't go unnoticed by Morgan. "Nothing's going on Garcia," he said, taking a moment to gather his thoughts and trying to figure out what else he was going to say.

"We are just helping each other out after what we've been through," JJ chipped in and Reid was glad she did. "Nothing more than that," she added quietly, hoping Reid wouldn't think their kiss didn't mean anything.

Morgan let out a low chuckled, "Come on guys, there's no fooling the both of us. Out with it," he said, looking at JJ in the rearview mirror.

"Spence," JJ whispered, reaching out her hand to touch his shoulder, waiting for his nod of approval that it was alright for her to share.

Reid turned to look at her over his shoulder, "It's fine JJ," he whispered, "they're going to find out sooner or later," he added and squeezed the hand she had still rested on his shoulder. "Promise you won't share with the others though," he said and looked at both Morgan and Garcia.

"Our lips are sealed," Garcia grinned, knowing something exciting was going to come up.

JJ blushed a deep shade of red, "Last night we took a walk towards the park just outside the hotel because we couldn't sleep," she started.

"You kissed, didn't you?" Garcia squealed, interrupting her friend.

"We uhm… we did," Reid said and looked down at his hands.

Morgan grinned broadly, patting Reid's shoulder. "That's my man, about time," he commented before focusing on the road again.

JJ blushed and squeezed Reid's other shoulder. "We'd like you to keep this to yourselves because we're trying to figure out what to do exactly," she explained. "Will and I only recently broke up and well… let's just say we're going to need some time to adjust to this new… situation," she said.

"Take all the time you need," Morgan commented, "I'll make sure this news doesn't leave this car," he added and gave Garcia a hard look in the rearview mirror.

"Alright alright alright, I won't share, as long as you promise me I'll always be the first to hear anything new that's going on, deal?" Garcia babbled.

"Deal," JJ and Reid both said in unison.

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

A/N: So not much happened. I had planned to write some more on the case, but somehow both Garcia and Morgan forced me to get this news out of JJ and Reid, so there you have it. I would love to hear from you!


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Thank you so much for all your continued support. I couldn't have dreamed of ever getting this far, neither could I have dreamed of the amount of reviews, you're the best!

* * *

**Chapter 23**

Morgan was able to grab Garcia's arm as he allowed JJ and Reid to head into the police station first. He felt slightly guilty for having dragged things out of their two friends and was determined to give them all the time and space they needed. "Baby girl, wait a minute," he said as he made Garcia face him. "We never heard what they just told us," he started, but was interrupted.

"What? This is the best news we've had in days… weeks, how can you expect me to pretend I never heard a word?" Garcia asked as her eyes widened.

"It's exactly what I'm expecting of you baby girl," Morgan replied. "I could tell they weren't truly ready to share, so for now we are just going to pretend nothing happened. We have to give them time to figure things out for themselves first."

Garcia reluctantly nodded, "Does that mean I can't… talk to Reid about…"

"It means exactly that, you never heard a word," Morgan said and winked at her. "You're a tough one, you know that?"

"I do, but doesn't mean it isn't nice to hear you say so," Garcia replied flirtatiously. "We can still talk about what they told us right?"

Morgan chuckled, "We can, when no one else is there," he said before nudging her towards the door. "Let's go, we have some work to do."

* * *

"Good morning everybody," Detective Longbourn greeted the FBI agents and their technical analyst. "I'm afraid we may have another victim," he said, getting straight to the point. "Jogger found the man this morning; he seems even more mutilated than the others so this might not be connected."

Reid took one look at the photograph, "Sorry to disappoint, but this is definitely the same UnSub, but she escalated," he said matter-of-factly and turned to Hotch. "Shall I go finish the geographical profile?"

"I'll help you," Garcia piped up and wanted to follow her friend. She was grabbed by her arm by Morgan who gave her a warning glare before releasing her.

Hotch divided the tasks further and told JJ to establish a good working relationship with the local press. They had profiled the UnSub would be keeping an eye on the investigation through the media and would escalate if they'd come to close. The media's job was to be careful with releasing any details on the case and to pretend the police was still in the dark which, for the moment, they were.

Reid stood in front of the large board with a map of Tulsa on it. Each victim had their own color coded system. Their home, their work, the shops they visited, and other places they frequented. "Garcia, can you find any gym memberships?"

"On it my favorite genius," she replied and starting typing away on her laptop. "I'm afraid that doesn't help much, they don't seem to go to the same gym, anything else?"

Reid tapped the pen to his chin for a moment, staring at the map. He started crossing lines between the victims' homes and their work, making it seem they all intersected at a similar spot. "Can you show me this area on streetview?"

Garcia tapped away on her computer, "It seems like a small market place with a Starbucks, maybe our victims picked up their morning coffees over there?"

Reid nodded as he circled the location of the Starbucks store, "It seems they have this location in common. Is there any way to see in their finances if they ever visited this particular store?"

"Unless they paid in cash each time, I can, just hang on a minute honey," Garcia said and started working her magic on the computer. Within minutes she had all the victims' finances projected on the large board for Reid to be able to see. She started cross-referencing with the bank account number of the store and they could see the immediate matches, "Booya!"

"Thank you so much Garcia, this helped a lot," Reid said and wanted to walk out of the room to inform the rest. When he'd reached the door he turned on his heel, a blush on his cheeks and a frown on his forehead. "Uhm… Garcia?"

"Yes lovely?" Garcia replied without looking up from her screen.

"About what we discussed in the car… me and JJ…" he started.

Garcia smiled to herself, hearing Morgan's voice in her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about Reid," she said, a smile gracing her face as she turned around to face him.

"I uhm… I don't understand," he frowned and looked at her with a confused look. As she continued to smile at him it clicked inside of his mind and he grinned, "I guess you're right. Thank you again Garcia," he said before leaving the room, appreciating what she'd just done.

* * *

"Dennis, it's so good to see you again," JJ said as she shook her old friend's hand. They had met each other during their earlier education when she decided she wanted to work in communications. She had gone towards the FBI; he had decided to go into journalism. Now he was here, writing an article on their most recent case.

"Jennifer Jareau, you're definitely a sight for sore eyes," he said as she greeted her with a large smile on his face. He couldn't deny that he used to have a large crush on the beautiful blonde and seeing her again stirred something deep inside of him. "How have you been?"

JJ smiled politely, "I've been doing pretty good," she replied, telling him about her life after her education, how she'd become a media liaison and how she'd developed on a personal level. "What about you?"

"Oh you know, been here and there, haven't been able to hold a real steady job until this one, married, divorced, I have a little boy," Dennis said and grabbed his notebook. "Now… what can you tell me about the case your team is working on?"

"Dennis," JJ told him with a warning voice, "You know there's nothing I can share at this point that you don't already know," she said and decided to try and switch the topic. "So… a little boy eh? How old is he?"

Dennis grinned and thought of his son fondly, "His name is William, he's five years old," he said and then his gaze turned sad. "I haven't seen him in quite some time; he is staying with his mom. Our divorce wasn't really a friendly one."

"Isn't that a great age? I've got a five year old at home as well, his name is Henry," JJ smiled and thought of her cute little boy.

"Where does he stay when you're away on a case?" Dennis enquired, interested.

JJ looked down at her feet, feeling guilty, "Usually he stays with a sitter, a good friend of mine. Sometimes my mom is able to watch him… Right now he's staying with his dad," she said, "we're uhm, getting a divorce."

"I'm sorry to hear that, having been through that I know exactly how you feel with your little boy. If you ever need to uhm… or want to… get back out there…" he started and gave her a knowing wink.

JJ blushed, "Dennis, I really don't think that would be a smart idea," she said.

Dennis reached out his hand to cup her cheek boldly, "Come on Jenny, didn't we have a great time together?" He grinned, referring to the time they'd shared a bed together.

Just at that same time Reid stepped into the room to announce that they had a breakthrough. He frowned when he saw JJ this close with another man and looked down at his feet. "We uhm… can we meet in the conference room?" He mumbled.

JJ quickly followed him, "Spence, it's not what you think," she said but was silenced when the others came into the room. She tried to catch his gaze, feeling that this would make him shut down again and that all the progress they'd made would be for nothing.

"All our victims frequented the same Starbucks store, I think our UnSub might have met them there," Reid told his friends.

"Great job Reid," Hotch said and handed out assignments.

Reid hurried out of the conference room as soon as they were done, determined to avoid JJ the rest of the day, leaving her behind in the conference room with a headache and tears in her eyes.

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

A/N: I don't know where that Dennis guy came from, but all of a sudden he was there. Don't worry, he won't screw up too much. Yes Reid might try to push JJ away, but she won't let him!


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

JJ blinked rapidly to avoid the tears from falling. _I have been so stupid, I should have pushed him away and told him I was seeing someone, _she thought to herself, taking a deep breath to control her raging emotions. Seeing Dennis had brought back memories, but she never wanted to go down that lane again. She hadn't told him she was seeing someone because firstly, anyone could have walked in and she didn't want to raise any suspicion and secondly because they weren't technically seeing each other and she didn't know whether Spencer would like her labeling what they were doing. She realized now, however, that she definitely should have pushed him away.

After taking deep breaths for a few moments she went outside to meet with the rest of the team. She was supposed to go to the Starbucks store together with Reid to see if any employees or regular customers would match their profile of the UnSub. He was already next to the SUV, waiting for her with his head down.

She could clearly see he wasn't happy that Hotch had paired them up this time and she couldn't really blame him. She hadn't figured Reid to be the jealous type, but given his history of people leaving him, she shouldn't have been very surprised. "Spence," she started as she approached him, making him look into her eyes. "Can we talk?"

Reid looked up at her, a cold look in his eyes, "I don't think we have anything to talk about," he replied coolly and walked around the car to get into the passenger seat.

JJ opened the driver's side with a sigh and buckled up. She knew as long as she had him in the car he wouldn't be able to avoid her. This was the best time to bring up what he had seen and try to explain herself to him. "Reid, he doesn't mean anything to me. He is an old friend, we went to college together and he was just trying to flatter me," she started.

"JJ I really don't need to hear it," Reid replied, turning to her before focusing his eyes on the road again. "He touched you, you seemed to like it. Have fun," he said, his eyes showing the emotion that was absent in his voice. "Can we go now?"

"Not until we talk this over and I know you don't want to, but I do," she said. "Yes I should have pushed him away and told him he shouldn't touch me, but what was I supposed to tell him Spence, that I was seeing someone else? Are we 'seeing' each other? I mean… I was right there at the precinct and someone could've easily overheard me and it might not have been Morgan or Garcia."

Reid stared out of the window for a moment, trying to find an answer to her question. He wasn't entirely sure if what they were doing was 'seeing' each other, but to see someone else touch JJ made him afraid of losing her. "I don't know…" he confessed.

"Spence," JJ started and reached out her hand to grab his, "I already told you I'm in love with you, and I don't care how many more times I have to say it again to make you believe me…" she squeezed his hand and smiled gently as he looked at her, "I blushed because he flattered me, not because it was him," she whispered. "I wish I could take the entire moment away, but I can't. Please Spence believe me when I say I'm in love with you."

A small smile started to play around the corners of his mouth, "I wouldn't mind hearing that often," he teased and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry, I overreacted," he confessed, feeling silly all of a sudden. He trusted her and he felt confident that she wouldn't betray that trust after the last time.

JJ smiled, "It's okay, it's nice to know you can be a little green eyed sometimes," she said and chuckled at his frown.

"I'm not sure…" He started.

"Jealousy Spence, I like that you can be a little jealous," she smiled and brought up her other hand to cup his cheek.

"JJ…" He warned her, "Someone can walk out and see us like this."

She nodded and removed her hand from his cheek, immediately missing the contact. "Are we okay?"

He nodded, "We are, is the date still on?"

Now it was her turn to nod, "Most definitely," she said with a smile and started the engine. "Now let's try and get this case wrapped up, I would love to taste your food," she said and drove away towards the Starbucks.

* * *

"Good afternoon, my name is Jennifer Jareau and this is my colleague Dr Spencer Reid, we're with the FBI," JJ introduced herself to the manager of the Starbucks. "Is there somewhere we can talk more privately?" She asked as she looked around the busy store.

The manager nodded, "Right this way," he said as he opened the door to a small break room. "How can I help you? We've never had visits from the FBI before."

JJ smiled politely as she and Reid sat down. "Mr Jensen, I'm sure you have heard the news around here," she started.

"You mean those murders? So tragic," the man said and looked down at the table, pretending to look pensive but Reid could see that he found it very exciting to have two FBI agents in the room.

"We have reason to believe that all of the victims were regulars here," Reid said as he started pulling photos out of the folder they had brought with them. He started laying them out on the table in front of the manager. "Do you recognize these men?"

The manager didn't have to look long before he nodded, "All of them come buy here at least three times a week, I could even tell you their favorite beverage," he said as he pointed at the first man, "He loved the caramel macchiato."

JJ smiled politely, "We have reason to believe that the person we're looking for met our victims at your store," she said.

"We're looking for a woman in her twenties, insecure and shy. She wouldn't stand out in a crowd, she's very polite but she seems scarred by events that have happened in her life. She could be a customer or an employee of yours, so I'd like you to think very hard to see if you know who this person can be," JJ said.

The color seemed to drain from the manager's face and his breathing started to quicken, "I uhm… I think she's an employee here," he said and started to fidget and look around anxiously. "She called in ill this morning, she's not in," he said.

Reid nodded, "What's her name?"

"Lucy Nesden," he replied and looked up at JJ and Reid, "What do I do now?"

JJ gave the men a reassuring smile, "If you give us the address you don't have to worry about anything," she replied.

The man gave them the address they needed and Reid immediately called Hotch to fill him in.

* * *

The team gathered in front of the apartment building where their presumed UnSub lived. They put on their bulletproof vests and met with a tactical team. Reid and JJ made up the rear of the group as they went inside and up the steps.

Morgan went up front and knocked on the door, "Lucy Nesden, FBI, open the door," he yelled and pounded one more time. When she didn't open the door he looked at Hotch for permission before kicking the door in.

The team and tactical team flooded inside, clearing the rooms one by one. When they found she wasn't there, the tactical team left and only Reid and Morgan were left behind to look through the rooms to see if they could find any clues.

"I'll start in the bedroom," Morgan said as he opened the door, walking in. He opened drawers and tried to get inside the UnSub's head to see where there would be evidence of where she could be right now. There was a big chance she was holding her next victim captive somewhere.

"Morgan?" Reid called from the living room, a slip of paper in his hand. On it was the name of a certain Matt Nesden along with a number. "Look at how this name is written," he said as he showed Morgan the slip of paper.

"She seemed angry, very angry at the time she wrote that," Morgan nodded. "What do you think the number is?"

Reid shook his head, "Could be a lot of things. Do you think Matt is a brother?"

Morgan nodded as he took out his cell phone, dialing the very familiar number. "Hey baby girl, I need you to run a check on a certain Matt Nesden, see if you can find out if he's Lucy Nesden brother. Try and give me an address."

"Working on it hot stuff, I'll type faster than lightning," Garcia said as she typed away on her laptop. "Aha, got him. Indeed Lucy's older brother, he lives in the same building, apartment 3B," she said.

"That must have pissed her off," Morgan replied, looking at the number 3 on the slip of paper. "Baby girl, what does Matt look like?"

"He looks an eerie lot like your victims," she replied.

Reid frowned a bit before it clicked in his mind. "He's the next victim," he said hastily. "She has been finding substitutes for him, he must've been the one to have hurt her in the past," he said. "When she found out he lived in the same apartment building. That must have been the trigger. She has been working up the courage to take on her own brother."

Morgan was already on the phone with Hotch, "We know who our next victim is," he said and explained everything to their boss. "Yeah, Reid and I will check out his apartment. We'll keep you updated."

Both men walked down the stairs towards apartment 3B, knocking on the door. "Matt Nesden, FBI, open the door," Morgan spoke.

They could hear smothered sounds behind the door but nobody came to open.

Morgan called out one more warning before kicking in the door.

What they saw in front of them nearly made them throw up. Matt was bound and on a chair, his whole body mangled and bloody. From the looks of things he was still alive, but barely hanging on.

His sister seemed nowhere in sight, so Morgan knelt down next to the man, calling for an ambulance while Reid scanned the apartment, looking for Lucy. He found her in the bathroom, washing the blood from her hands. "Lucy Nesden, put your hands on your hand and kneel down on the floor," he said calmly.

Lucy did exactly as he said and he was able to cuff her. When he led her out of the apartment and towards the SUV waiting downstairs he could only think of one thing, his date with JJ. Now that they had this case nearly wrapped up, their date came closer.

On the drive towards the police station he couldn't keep the grin from his face. He had a date, a date with JJ.

* * *

**TBC**


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: I'm sorry about the delay on this chapter. I have been busy rounding up everything at work; handing everything over to the teacher I substituted. This means I'll be out of a job (hopefully temporarily) after next week. The good news for you guys is that I'll probably be able to write a lot more!_

* * *

**Chapter 25**

"Lucy Nesden," Rossi started as he sat down opposite the woman in the interrogation room. "You know what I'm curious about, is why you killed all those innocent men if it was your brother you were after all along," he said, his frown apparent on his face and a serious look in his eyes. "If Matt was the one that hurt you, wouldn't taking him be enough?"

Lucy scowled, "I didn't very well know he lived in my apartment building until just a few days ago," she replied and then started to laugh, "Heck, I didn't even know the bastard was still alive, let alone here in town!" She exclaimed.

"Why would you think he was dead?" Rossi asked.

"Because that's what my parents continually told me," she spat and shook her head. "Poor Matt never hurt a fly, poor Matt never raped his sister, evil Lucy is a big fat liar, poor Matt died in a car crash," she let out a maniacal laugh. "Someone had to pay for what he did to me, because he couldn't pay himself."

Hotch and Blake stood behind the window, listening in on the interrogation. "You know what I wonder," Blake started, "Why would her parents not believe her?" It amazed her how ignorant people could be, not to see what was going on right under their noses.

Hotch nodded a little, "We'll ask Garcia to look into her life a little deeper," he responded, curious himself as well. He also wanted to find out why she had only started to kill recently.

Back in the interrogation room, Rossi seemed to think the same thing. "Lucy…" he started, trying to form a correct sentence in his head. "If your brother… molested you nearly ten years ago, what motivated you to start punishing innocent people only recently?"

Lucy smirked, "Who said I only started recently?"

Rossi looked over his shoulder at the mirror behind him, knowing very well that Hotch would be there. "Well then tell me about them," he spoke calmly as he turned back to face Lucy.

"Now where's the fun in that?" She replied and chuckled, "It would be much more fun to watch you struggle to find out."

Rossi's lips pursed together as he closed the file in front of him. "You know what, before we do, I could really use a good cup of coffee," he replied before getting up. He left the interrogation room and opened the door next to it.

Hotch turned to face him, "I'd say local police will have a few field days with this, but since they now have the UnSub I don't think there's a job left for us," he said and gave a small ghost of a smile, relieved to be going home so he could spend some time with Jack.

Rossi nodded, "Sounds good to me, I'll inform the others?"

"Yes, thank you," Hotch replied as he watched Rossi turn on his heel and leave. He himself turned to Blake, "Let's go gather our stuff and hand over this case officially."

* * *

JJ and Reid had agreed to wait a few days after rounding off the case before having their date. Reid wanted JJ to spend some quality time with Henry and truth was: he was slightly chickening out himself. He spent hours thinking of what to cook for her, he wasn't the best cook. Eventually he decided on some pasta with salmon and spinach, something he had cooked a few times before.

JJ was standing in front of the mirror, checking her appearance. She felt as if she was going on a blind date tonight, which didn't make any sense. She had known Reid for years, she shouldn't be nervous at all. She gave herself a smile in the mirror, smoothed down her black dress and grabbed her earrings from the nightstand. Reid had told her not to dress up too fancy since it was just dinner, but she wanted to dress differently from what he'd normally see at work.

Within a few minutes she was on her way to his apartment building, still checking herself in the rearview mirror every once in a while. She was grateful that the zit that had nestled itself on her face somewhere along their last case had disappeared.

When she rounded the last corner she instantly slowed down. This evening together was going to change everything. They could possibly go from friends to a couple. Even if that didn't work out, their bond would've changed forever after this dinner. Suddenly she wasn't so sure anymore if she was ready for that. _Come on Jayje, keep breathing, it will all be fine_, she told herself before killing the engine and stepping out into the cool air.

She hurried up to the door and smiled to herself when he buzzed her up. She smoothed her dress once more, made her way up the steps and knocked on the door to his apartment. She realized that she hadn't been there in quite some time, even though the last time she was there she'd promised him they were going to do a lot of fun things together. Sadly, cases had been in their way and eventually things just went back to 'normal'.

Reid swung the door open and took her in, she was looking beautiful. "Uh… hi… JJ, come on in," he rambled nervously before stepping aside to let her inside. "You're right on time… not that I expected you not to be… I just… I'm not quite done…" He kept on rambling as a blush crept up on his cheek.

JJ smiled gently as she walked into the living room, "It already smells amazing Spence, is there anything I can help you with?"

He shook his head, "Oh no… you just sit down and relax. I'll try to be done in a minute," he replied and smiled gently at her, his nerves starting to disappear a little bit. "Make yourself at home," he added before disappearing into the kitchen.

JJ sat down on the couch, looking around at all the books stacked on the shelves and the coffee table. She grabbed the one on top of the pile and flipped it open, running her fingers over the initials he had scribbled on the first page.

When he came back into the living room she quickly but the book back. She still felt as if she was prying into his life, even though he'd given her on okay to make herself at home.

"Alright, we can eat," he announced as he waited for her to reach the dinner table. He pulled the chair back for her so she could sit down.

"Spence, this looks wonderful," JJ said gently as she looked at the plate with pasta. "I love salmon."

Reid blushed slightly, "I know you do, so it was an easy choice," he said and waited for her to take the first bite. He hoped with all his might that she liked it and that his cooking wasn't a disappointment to her. "What do you think?" He asked, not able to wait any longer.

JJ swallowed the bite, a large smile appearing on her face, "This is absolutely delicious, I wouldn't mind eating this every week," she said and took another bite. "I know for sure that even Henry would love this."

"Maybe I can cook for the both of you sometime," Reid said before thinking. He blushed instantly at the implications he made. "I uhm… I mean… if you want me to… I…"

"Spence…" JJ started and reached out her hand to grab his, "Stop rambling. You are doing fine, and I would love for you to cook this again sometime soon for Henry and I," she whispered softly before taking a sip of the wine he had found.

He nodded slightly to himself, willing his insecurity to go away. "I just don't want to rush things JJ," he started, "I have… dreamt of this for a long time and I'm afraid that if I go too fast it will all disappear again."

"I know exactly what you mean," JJ replied, having the exact same doubt herself. "I had a nightmare the other night, of how I lost you after our… relationship didn't work out. You had transferred to another job because Strauss forced us to make a decision and you never were able to forgive me for that."

Now it was his turn to reach out his hand to grab hers, "I would never do that," he whispered. He had already thought about how things could go if the team found out about the two of them. There was a very large probability they weren't able to stay on the same team, let alone stay together within the FBI. He had already made his own decision; he could always go into teaching so JJ could stay with the team. "Let's just say we will cross that bridge when we get there."

JJ nodded. "Thank you Spence."

They spent the rest of their dinner in relative silence. Afterwards JJ helped him load the dishwasher, even though he told her she didn't have to do anything. The remainder of the dishes that didn't fit anymore, they did by hand. JJ washed the plates and Reid dried them.

JJ smirked slightly to herself, her hands covered in suds. She turned to him and blew some of the suds in his direction, most of it landing on his cheek. She let out a light giggle.

Reid's heart swelled at the sound of her giggle as he turned to look at her. "You mischievous…" he started, ready to wrap his arms around her and tickle her. She was faster though, and more suds covered his face, his nose this time. "Oh you're gonna get it lady," he said and quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him as he rubbed his nose against her, transferring the suds.

JJ's laugh died down slightly as he looked deeply into his eyes. She licked her lips subconsciously and watched him do the same before she saw how his lips came crashing down on hers. She let out a soft moan as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

They had to pull back when the need for air became too great. "Wow…" JJ whispered as she looked deeply into his hazel eyes. "That was amazing Spence."

Reid felt another blush creep up his cheeks as he looked into her eyes. "That it was," he whispered before kissing her again, pulling her body tightly against his own. Before things got too hot and heavy he pulled away, seeing the disappointed look on her face. He reached out his hand to cup her cheek, "God JJ you're so beautiful," he said as he looked at her intently.

Now it was JJ's turn to blush. She stepped closer to him once again and tried to wrap her arms around him again but he pulled away. She frowned, "Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head, "Oh no, no don't ever think that," he replied with a large blush on his face, looking down at his feet. "It's just that… if we keep this up I don't think I'll be able to stop," he confessed.

JJ stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck as she allowed her breath to tickle his ear. "You don't have to stop…" she whispered seductively, kissing the lobe of his ear.

Reid let out a low growl and pulled her close again, kissing her feverishly.

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

_A/N2: I'm such a tease haha… ;)_


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N: This is a day later than I originally planned to have it up. It's a little bit shorter than usual, but I thought this would be a nice place to leave it. As usual I love to hear from you, thank you all for your support!_

* * *

**Chapter 26**

She let out an airy moan as he captured her lips once more. She pressed her body tightly against his and moved her arms around his waist. Taking in the smell of coffee and his cologne, she smiled against his lips. This felt so right.

"JJ," he whispered and let out a groan as she pulled away. He felt an unfamiliar stir low in his body and instantly blushed. He ran his hands over her cheeks and pulled her bottom lip down slightly with his thumb, quickly pressing his lips against hers again. He allowed his biological urge to take the lead just a little bit longer, savoring in the feeling of having her body pressed tightly against his own.

She let her hands wander over his back, one hand coming up to pull gently on his hair as the other went down to brush over his rear slightly. With that hand she pulled his hips against her, feeling the start of his arousal pressed tightly against her. With a red flush on her cheeks she pulled back very slowly. She wanted to do nothing more than take him into the bedroom and have her way with him, but she knew that he had been right, they needed to keep the pace slow.

He looked deeply into her eyes, his forehead pressed against hers. He could feel her hot breath on his face and slowly closed his eyes, trying to get his own breathing under control. Part of him wanted to pull away, embarrassed that she would be able to feel his arousal, but another part of him wanted to do nothing more than make love to her right there. "I think I'm definitely in love with you too," he whispered, a smile spreading over his face.

JJ smiled brightly, running a hand over his cheek. "Oh really and how do you know?" She teased him. "Maybe you should show me…" she whispered seductively and pushed her hips against him, letting out a small moan.

"JJ…" he said, panting, "As much as I would love to show you… I think we should slow down," he said, running his hands over her sides, holding her in place. "I have dreamed about this for a very long time, but I think rushing things now…"

She silenced him by giving him a sweet loving kiss, "I know Spence, you're right," she replied and pulled back slowly, pecking his lips one more time. She smiled as she saw they were slightly swollen from all their kissing.

He threw her a shy smile, "So uhm… what do we do now?" He asked, not quite familiar with dating etiquette.

"Well, I should be going home," JJ admitted, looking at her watch. "Would you like to come over for breakfast tomorrow?" She asked. She wanted nothing more than to take him home with her, but she decided against it.

He blushed slightly and then nodded quickly, "I would love to," he replied, "Let me guess, chocolate chip pancakes?"

JJ giggled, a sound that he loved so much, "Definitely, he won't let me make anything else on Saturday mornings," she laughed.

"Can't blame him, chocolate chip pancakes are great!" Reid exclaimed, "Especially yours," he added, a flirtatious look in his eyes.

Now it was JJ's turn to blush again. "So you'll be there?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he said. With that and a last deep and passionate kiss they ended their evening.

* * *

"Mommy? Is Unca 'Pence almost here?" Henry asked as he made a run into the kitchen where JJ was preparing the pancake batter. He came to a halt right next to his mother, a large excited grin on his face.

JJ smiled gently, glad that Henry was already looking forward to seeing Reid, as she was. If situations had been different she wouldn't have hesitated to spend the night or ask him to stay the night at her place. As she started adding the chocolate chips to the batter she looked down at her little boy. "He should be here soon baby," she replied, ruffling his hair.

"I no baby, I big boy," Henry said mockingly as he slowly paced around in the kitchen. "I want pancakes now."

"I'm almost done big boy," JJ said and winked at him, "Just a little while longer. Besides, we should wait until your Uncle Spence is here. Do you want to call him to ask where he is?"

Henry nodded vigorously and carefully grabbed the cell phone after his mother dialed the number. "Unca 'Pence? Are you almost here?" He almost yelled into the phone excitedly after Reid picked it up.

"I'm walking to the front door now, can you open the door for me buddy?" Reid replied and chuckled when he heard Henry tell JJ that he was going to open the door for his 'Unca 'Pence'.

Henry rushed over to the door and opened it wide, a large grin on his face as he saw his Uncle standing on the other side. "Unca 'Pence! The pancakes are almost ready, come on hurry!" He said and hugged Reid's legs. When he pulled back he had a more serious look on his face.

Reid knelt down so he came at the same level with the little boy, "What is it buddy, what's on your mind?"

Henry looked down at his feet for a moment and bit his lower lip. "Daddy is not coming home Unca 'Pence…" the boy started, his lip quivering as he allowed the emotion to fill him up. "He live in another house now, with a new mommy… Emma…"

Reid reached out for his godson slowly and pulled him in his arms, he could see that the little boy was about to cry. He was right, the moment his Uncle held him tightly Henry's floodgates opened and the tears spilt right on his cheeks. "It will all be okay buddy," he whispered. "Your own mommy and your daddy still love you very much and that is never going to change."

Henry nodded, breathing a little raggedly. "But I need a new daddy too here," the little boy said, still hiccupping slightly. "You be my new daddy Unca 'Pence?"

Even though JJ had prepared him for this moment, Reid was still stunned at the sentence coming from his godson's mouth. He could feel tears burn in his eyes at the empathy he felt for the little boy standing in front of him. He had to go through so much at the moment and he was having a hard time coping, Reid could just picture how he must be feeling. He nodded, pulling back to look into Henry's eyes. "If you want me to be your new daddy, I would love to," he replied, brushing the tears from the boy's face.

A small smile broke through on Henry's face, "Really? Cool…" he said and looked over his shoulder. "You want chocolate chip pancakes Unca 'Pence? Daddy 'Pence?"

* * *

**TBC**


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N: So sorry about the delay on this, I had a bad case of writer's block… Not much is going on in this chapter, let's hope I can figure out how to put some action back into it!  
_

* * *

Jij wist wel wie ik was  
Zwaaiend met mijn jas  
Mijn armen wijd en leeg  
En een hart dat schreeuwend zweeg  
Dat steeds meer verlangde  
Naar de warmte van je wang  
- Dansen aan zee by BlØf

* You were the one that knew who I was  
Waving with my coat  
My arms wide and empty  
And a heart that stayed silent with a scream  
That longed more and more  
For the warmth of your cheek

* * *

**Chapter 27**

JJ smiled as she saw Reid enter the kitchen, carrying Henry. She could see something had happened from the tear stains on Henry's cheek and Reid's glistening eyes. "Hey," she said gently and brushed her thumb over her little boy's cheek. "What's wrong big boy?" She asked and noticed how his bottom lip started to tremble. She lifted him up when he reached out for her and slowly rocked him.

Reid smiled sadly, hating to see his godson this upset. He had wanted to reach out for JJ and give her a kiss, but decided against it. Henry needed his mother right now and he didn't want to make things even more complicated for him.

Thankfully Henry cheered up over chocolate chip pancakes and was soon badgering his Uncle 'Pence to teach him some magic tricks.

JJ looked at the two people at the table, a small smile gracing her features. She saw how Reid was talking animatedly to Henry and how the latter was cheering up. She hated to see how he tried to make sense of the new situation, confusion in his little head all the time. She wished she could take it all back for him, but she knew she couldn't. She had to keep moving forward and part of her was very much looking forward to the future because of the man who was currently pulling a coin from behind her son's ear.

They had a long way ahead of them, but she was confident they would make it and come out of it stronger together. "Henry?" She asked, as she sat down next to the 'men' at the table.

Henry turned his head to his mommy and smiled brightly. "You have a coin behind your ear mommy!" He said excitedly and repeated the trick Reid had just taught him, showing JJ the coin.

"Well done big boy!" She said and ruffled his hair. "It's almost time for your play date, why don't you run upstairs and grab some toys you want to take with you?"

He nodded and quickly rushed upstairs, excited about going out to play with a friend.

JJ turned to Reid. "I hope you don't mind that I sent him off for the afternoon, I figured we could use some time together," she whispered. She looked over her shoulder quickly to see if Henry was already coming back downstairs. When she saw he wasn't, she leaned in and brushed her lips against Reid's.

He had to hold himself back with everything he had. He wanted so badly to take her in his arms and kiss her deeply, but with Henry still in the house there was no way he was going to take the risk and make things more confusing for the boy. He pulled back reluctantly and reached up to cup her cheek. "Thank you, for everything," he whispered; tenderness in his voice and in his eyes.

* * *

"You know, if you had asked me if I wanted to go on a picnic with you I would've said 'no'," Reid said as she grabbed another sandwich from the basket in front of him, looking up at JJ with a serious look on his face. He took a bite and grinned, "These are delicious!"

JJ frowned, "Are you serious?"

He nodded, "About the sandwiches, definitely, what did you put on them?"

She laughed a little bit at his excitement, "I actually meant your comment about not coming on a picnic with me if I'd asked you first," she said and grabbed a slice of cucumber, nibbling on it. She looked down at her legs as she sat cross-legged. "You're not… regretting anything, are you?"

Reid looked at her with confusion on his face, "I uhm… I'm not sure what you want me to say," he replied and cleared his throat. "I do love spending time with you, I hope you know that. It's just that having picnics always seemed very unhygienic to me. Do you know the amount of germs that could've nestled themselves in these very sandwiches at the moment?" He asked, studying the piece of food in his hand carefully. "The amount raises exponentially when… sorry, I'm rambling," he said and blushed.

JJ laughed nervously, "I should've known," she giggled and nudged his arm when he looked at her with confusion again. "I just thought you didn't want to have a picnic with _me_," she explained.

"Why would you think that?" He asked, weary about the conversation they were having.

"It's nothing, just a female thing I guess," she replied and leaned against him. "I'm glad you're having fun."

He kissed the top of her head and wrapped an arm around her waist. "There's no place I'd rather be right now," he whispered and slowly rocked her.

JJ blushed and turned in his arms, leaning up slightly to brush her lips against his. She rested her hand on his chest and closed her eyes, loving the feeling of his soft lips against hers. She let out a small whimper when she felt how he deepened the kiss and pulled her closer against him. Her tongue sought out his and they fell into a steady and yet familiar rhythm together, as if their bodies knew instantly what to do.

Reid felt the familiar stirring in his lower body, a feeling that he'd experienced more often the past days and let out a small groan as he felt JJ's hand moving over his chest. He pulled back reluctantly and opened his eyes, looking into her beautiful blue ones. "I'm sorry, I…" He blushed, realizing that she'd noticed his arousal.

"It's okay Spence," she whispered, brushing a hand over his cheek. "We're not ready so we best stop it here."

He furrowed and then slowly nodded, he wanted to share some more statistics with her about how long it takes for couples to become intimate like that and how they were technically raising the average looking at the amount of years they'd known each other. Instead he cleared his throat and nodded some more. "You're right," he whispered and pulled her closer again, just wanting to feel her close.

"You know… I could get used to this," JJ admitted, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Reid kept silent for a moment, "I have always been alone in my life and when I met Maeve I felt I was ready to share my life with someone, let someone in," he started. "When she… when she was killed I thought I would never be able to let someone else in again, but there you were… I just never realized what was right in front of me," he admitted and blushed, "Of course there was my crush… years ago," he said and chuckled nervously. "If only things had worked out then."

JJ looked deeply into his eyes and shook her head, "I think this is the right moment for us Spence," she whispered. "Back then we wouldn't have worked. We missed some necessary life experiences."

"I guess you're right," he replied, pondering her comment for a moment.

"That does tend to happen quite a lot lately, doesn't it?" She teased and kissed his cheek.

"Just don't get used to it," he quickly retorted and tickled her until she laughed. He loved the sound of her laugh and couldn't wait to hear it every day. He made a promise to himself that he would try and bring out her smiles and laughs every day from now on.

* * *

**TBC**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

"Hey pretty boy, how are you holding up?" Morgan asked as he walked into the bullpen, spotting Reid already at his desk reading case files.

The younger man looked up and nodded, "I'm doing alright, thank you," he replied and delved back into the case, reading over the words quickly and absorbing every little fact so he could rehash them later if necessary.

"Just alright?" Was Morgan's reply, accompanied by a sly grin. He remembered he had made Garcia promise they would act as if nothing was going on between Reid and JJ, but he was at a point he was ready to break his own promise. He was just too curious. "So how did your date go?" He asked and gave Reid a wink.

Reid blushed instantly, "Morgan…" he replied warningly and looked around to make sure no one was there to eavesdrop. "We had a good time, taking things slow," he replied matter-of-factly not ready, nor willing to share any details. He wanted things to remain between JJ and him for now; they were far from ready to share what they had.

"Alright, I'll let you off the hook for now," Morgan grinned and sat down, grabbing a few files and putting them aside. These were the files he would sneak into Reid's pile as soon as he went for coffee.

Reid shook his head just slightly and looked around the bullpen, a small smile creeping up his face as he saw JJ walk in. He tried his best not to show anything because Blake was on her heel.

He was too late however, Blake had indeed noticed something. "Morning guys," she greeted the two men and then focused her eyes on Reid. "You look well-rested and cheerful this morning," she said and smiled gently. "I'm glad to see you're doing better."

"I am doing much better, thank you," he replied and gave her a friendly smile in return. Then he focused his eyes on JJ for a moment and gave her a shy smile which didn't go unnoticed by the others in the room.

Blake looked from Reid to JJ and back again but decided to keep her mouth shut. She had a feeling something was going on between the two of them, but she didn't plan on intruding. She figured they would tell her if something was going on and if they were ready to share.

JJ could feel a slight blush creep up her cheeks as she remembered the kisses she'd shared with Reid only hours ago. She cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder when Rossi and Garcia walked into the bullpen. "Alright guys, we've got a new case, let's meet in the conference room in ten minutes," she said and went up the steps towards Hotch's office.

Reid got up and grabbed his empty mug, determined to fill it to the brim with coffee and sugar for their meeting.

Morgan quickly grabbed the case files from his desk and was about to put them on top of Reid's pile.

The younger man turned around and grinned, "I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

"How did you…" Morgan replied, stunned.

"A magician…"

"Yeah yeah, I get it," Morgan said and placed the files back on his own pile before following Reid to the break room for some much needed coffee.

* * *

"Okay welcome lovelies," Garcia said as she stood in front of the screen, the remote for the projector in her hand. She looked around at her friends and made sure not to look at what was on the screen. "We have three mysterious deaths in Las Vegas," she started, pressing the button to show pictures of the victims on the screen. "All in their thirties, mothers. They went missing three days before they were found, bound and gagged near the side of a road. Their bodies were frozen."

"Frozen, in Las Vegas? Babygirl…" Morgan started as he frowned, looking up at Garcia.

"Yes, frozen, that's the mystery about this whole case," she replied matter-of-factly and showed close-ups of the victims on the dumpsites. The bodies were stiff and even blue to a point. They were naked and wrapped in plastic.

"Have they found any clothes or belongings?" Rossi asked as he looked at the case on his iPad.

Garcia shook her head, "Nothing else besides the bodies," she replied and turned off the screen. "Sorry, can't look at this any longer," she apologized. Working with the team like this she'd gotten used to lots of gruesome photos, but somehow these ones were etched in her mind. The fear on the faces, the blueness of their bodies, she wasn't likely to forget them anytime soon.

Hotch nodded, "Alright, wheels up in thirty," he said and left the room, followed by Rossi, Morgan, Blake and Garcia.

JJ turned to Reid, "Maybe it's a nice time to visit your mother," she said as she gathered her things. "I bet she'd love to see you, it's been a while, right?"

Reid nodded absentmindedly. He had written a lot to his mother about Maeve, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to write about JJ yet. Part of him wanted to invite her along to see his mother, but he wasn't sure how his mother would react to the news without being prepared. "It's uhm… it's been a few months yeah."

"Maybe you could take a couple of days off after our case, spend some time there?" JJ suggested and then realized how that sounded. "It's not that I won't love to spend that time with you, I just think your mother deserves to see you."

"You've got a point," Reid said and then shook his head, "I just never know if she's having a good day or not. Spending more days with her seems like a nice idea, but the chance that she has a lot of clear days is pretty slim at the moment."

"Has she been getting worse?" JJ asked, concerned.

Reid looked up at her and nodded sadly, "The time windows of her lucid moments become increasingly smaller," he replied. "She doesn't reply to all my letters anymore and she sometimes doesn't even remember who I am."

JJ felt a few tears sting in her eyes, "I'm sorry to hear that," she whispered. She looked around before gently grabbing his hand, squeezing it to let him know she was there for him.

He gave her a gentle smile in return, "We uhm… we should go grab our things and go to their airstrip," he told her and slowly got up, allowing her to walk through the door first. He let out a deep sigh. JJ had been right, he should take some time to visit his mother and tell her about the changes in his life. No doubt he wanted to take JJ with him, but he was sure that the team would be asking questions when they found out.

* * *

"Detective Grant, I wish we could've met under different circumstances," Hotch said as he shook the woman's hand. "I sent two of my people to the latest crime scene already and these are SSA's Jareau, Dr Reid and Rossi," he said.

Jessica nodded as she shook Hotch's hand in return, before shaking the other's hands. "It's good to have you all here," she replied and let them inside the police station.

They gathered in a small conference room and sat down. "We brought in the parents of our victims, thought you might want to talk to them. We were unable to bring in the mother of our latest victim, Kerry Mortimer because Mrs Mortimer resides in a sanitarium."

"She's in Bennington?" Reid asked, remembering the name of their last victim. He didn't understand why he hadn't seen it sooner when Garcia was introducing them to this case, but he figured his thoughts were just too full of JJ.

Jessica looked surprised, "You know the place Dr Reid?"

Reid nervously swallowed and nodded, "And I know these women," he responded, "the victim and her mother I mean."

Hotch turned to look at his youngest team member, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I uhm… I guess I just didn't let it sink in entirely. If you don't mind I would like to go over there to talk to Mrs Mortimer, she knows me," Reid said and looked sideways at JJ.

Hotch nodded, "Good idea, take JJ with you," he responded and watched how the two hurried out of the conference room.

* * *

**TBC**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Morgan looked at the cars and trucks rushing by the highway. "How is it possible no one saw anything?" He asked, not even waiting for an answer as he approached the dump site of their latest victim. "I dumped her by night, the headlights don't touch this area," he continued and walked around the site. The ME had already removed the body so there wasn't anything left for them to really work with, besides what the location told them.

"He would need to have his own vehicle for sure," Blake commented and looked around for tire tracks. "It seems like he used the shoulder to stop his vehicle and dump the body, there are no tire tracks anywhere."

Morgan nodded and then looked towards the road again, "A parked car on the shoulder would draw the attention though," he said and frowned a little bit to himself. "Although a truck at night wouldn't draw much attention."

"Neither would an emergency vehicle…" Blake nodded and grabbed her cell phone to call Garcia. She hoped the woman would be able to provide her with a list of emergency vehicles that crossed the highway that night. "Garcia, I need you to look something up for me," she started and explained which information she wanted.

"_That shouldn't be too hard; I'll let you know as soon as I have something. Garcia out_," was Garcia's reply before she hung up.

* * *

"Spence I'm sorry I had to come with you," JJ said as she got into the government issued SUV. She fastened her seatbelt and started the car, waiting for him to reply. When he didn't she quickly looked at him, sideways, before focusing her eyes on the road again. "Spence?"

"It's uhm… it's fine I guess," he replied, looking straight ahead. His mind was full at the moments, thoughts rapidly begging for attention in his head. These thoughts consisted of their latest victim, his history with her, his mother and JJ meeting his mother. The latter worried him least, but still enough to cause him to be distracted.

JJ let out a soft sigh, noticing his thoughts weren't entirely with them in the car at the moment. "If you're not ready for me to meet your mother I could wait outside?"

"It's not that," he quickly replied and turned to look at her. He knew he had to tell her that his mother didn't know about them yet and he was afraid of how she was going to react. "JJ…" he started and swallowed, "there's something I need t confess. My uhm… I haven't told my mom about us…"

JJ reached out her hand to grab his while her eyes were still focused on the road. "That's understandable," she said. "We've only just recently started… dating." The word sounded strange in her mind, but the feeling it created was good. "If you want to wait another while longer before telling her, I don't mind. I'll be the last person to judge you."

Reid looked over at her and squeezed her hand, "It's not because I'm embarrassed about you… us. It's just that, the last thing I told her was about Maeve and explaining her how I got over her and… together with you is going to be quite difficult."

"And that's why I want you to wait until you're ready to talk to her. Maybe we should be certain about us first…" JJ said before parking the car in the Bennington parking lot. "So… do we go in together or do I wait here?"

"I would like you to come with me… there's something more you should hear and deserve to know," Reid replied with a deep sigh, preparing him for the part of telling a mentally unstable mother that her daughter was found dead.

JJ felt herself growing weary; she wasn't sure what Reid just meant. She followed him into the hallway of the sanitarium as they waited for someone of the staff to take them to Mrs Mortimer. "How long has it been since you visited?"

Reid didn't even go into detail, telling her the exact length of months, weeks, days, hours and minutes. Instead he just said: "Too long."

She wanted to do nothing more than to rub her hand along his back, but as long as they were working on a case they had to remain professional. She would be able to show him affection once they were back at the hotel, although they had to be careful, even there.

"Ah, Dr Reid, it's such a pleasure to see you. She's been talking about you a lot lately," a man said, approaching the two of them. Reid referred to him as Dr Norman.

"Actually uhm… I'm here to see someone else first," Reid replied and shifted from one foot to another. "It's Mrs Mortimer, something happened to her daughter Kerry."

Dr Norman's face fell, "She's been talking about Kerry a lot lately, what happened to her?"

JJ looked around and lowered her voice, "She was found dead yesterday, we'd like to tell Mrs Mortimer if that's alright."

Dr Norman nodded, "Follow me," he said before showing them towards the woman's room. "She's having quite a good day Dr Reid, but remember to be careful," he said before leaving the two agents in the doorway.

Reid looked at JJ and silently asked her to stay back just a little bit, as not to crowd the woman. "Mrs Mortimer?" He asked carefully, approaching her.

"My name is…" he started, but she didn't even let him finish.

"Spencer Reid, I remember you," the woman smiled and widened her arms to embrace him.

Reid hugged her back shortly before pulling back. "Here, let's sit down," he said and helped her. He sat down in front of her and took her hands in his.

JJ looked at the scene before her and was amazed by how natural this seemed to come to him this time. She wondered if it had something to do with what he said he needed to tell her.

Mrs Mortimer looked at their joined hands and then frowned, "What's going on Spencer, where's Kerry? Did the two of you get in a fight?" She asked, one hand covering her mouth. "You two didn't break up, did you?"

Reid had already been afraid this was going to happen and he shook his head. He knew that if he was going to tell her that it wasn't 1998 anymore, she would be even more confused and lose her lucid state. "Mrs Mortimer, I am so sorry but… Kerry isn't here anymore," he started, carefully thinking about his next words.

"What do you mean, she's not here anymore? Did she go on a holiday without you?" Mrs Mortimer frowned, utterly confused.

JJ wanted to step in and ask Reid what she was talking about, but remembered they were at a sanitarium and that he knew how to talk to this woman. She wondered if Kerry really was Reid's ex-girlfriend or if the woman was just imaging that to be the case. She bit her lower lip and continued to listen and watch the scene.

"We uhm… she was found yesterday morning, she's dead Mrs Mortimer, I'm so sorry…" Reid said, finishing in a whisper. He saw how the look in the woman's eyes changed and quickly pulled back so she wouldn't be able to lash out at him.

She got up and shrieked: "You murderer! Get away from me; I'm not going to let you kill me too!" She approached him and wanted to grab his vest, but missed.

Within seconds the room was full of nurses to calm the woman down and sedating her. Reid was still standing inside the room, his breathing a little ragged. He turned to look at JJ, a sorrowful look on his face. "I uhm… I'll tell you everything, I promise," he started, "but for now I just want to go see my mother for a little while."

JJ nodded and patted his shoulder when he walked past her, "I'll meet you in the car?"

"I should be there in about twenty," Reid replied before walking in the direction of the common room, in search of his mother.

* * *

**TBC**


	30. Chapter 30

_A/N: Thanks to everybody for reviewing. Sadly I still make some typing mistakes, but I usually just type away and don't really take the time check my spelling. So, as a 'guest' pointed out, in the last chapter the word was supposed to be 'imagining' and not 'imaging'. So thanks, hoped you enjoyed the chapter nevertheless._

* * *

**Chapter 30**

"Spencer, what are you doing here?" Diana asked as Reid walked into his mother's room. She got up from her chair by the window to give him a tight hug, sensing that he needed one. They weren't the most affectionate mother and son, but neither of them was bothered by it. "Sit, sit," she said and motioned towards the chess table in her room.

He sat down slowly and let out a deep sigh. "We have a case here in Las Vegas," he started and moved his first piece, looking up at his mother. "I thought I'd come see you," he lied slightly. He had no intention of telling her any specifics on the case or why he'd really come to Bennington at this hour of day.

What he hadn't realized was that Diana was able to see right through him. "You never visit me during the day when you have a case here, you always wait until your case is solved," she said as she moved a chess piece. "Why are you really here Spencer, and don't you dare lie to me."

Reid let out a soft sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you remember Kerry Mortimer?" He asked as he moved his piece.

Diana nodded, "How could I forget about her? Her mother talks about her all the time, it's been a while since she visited…" she said and stared out of the window for a moment, a sad look on her face. "Did something happen to her?"

"Yes," Reid replied and stood up, pacing around the room for a moment. "She was found dead, I uhm… I just informed her mother together with JJ."

They spent a few minutes in silence before Diana looked up at her son again, "What is going on between you and JJ?" She asked, having picked up on the tone of his voice when he mentioned her name.

Reid looked up at her, confused for a moment before his glance softened. His mother reminded him all the time that 'a mother knows', so he decided not to question her. "I uhm… she helped me a lot when Maeve was killed," he started and shuffled a bit with his feet. "We… uhm hung out a lot together and realized we uhm… really like each other."

"She is Henry's mother, right? And she's married? Spencer…" his mother started, wanting to lecture him but he held up his hand to stop her.

"She's Henry's mother yes, but she and Will broke up a while ago. Mom I'm not looking for your permission and I guess this is the reason I didn't mention anything in my letters," he sighed and swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't know why this got to him this time, why he felt he needed to defend their relationship to his mother.

Diana's look softened, "Oh honey, as long as she is good to you. You always have been a special boy."

Reid looked up and gave her a small smile, "She is, very good to me," he said and frowned a little bit. "I love her," he said, furrowing his brows at his confession.

Diana smiled more widely now, "Good, you go tell her and bring her by when you're done with your case. I would like to have a good talk with my future daughter in law," she said.

"Moooom…" Reid replied, warningly.

"Oh hush, just go. I'll see you later Spencer."

* * *

When Reid got back into the car JJ turned in her seat and smiled gently at him, reaching out to grab his hand. "How's your mom?"

"She was having a very clear moment, so that's good I guess," he replied and squeezed her hand. His gaze silently thanked her for giving him the space he needed today. "I uhm… I would like to explain everything to you in further detail, but I think it's important we had back to the station. Hotch will wonder where we are."

JJ nodded and reluctantly let go of his hand, starting the car. "You're right. Maybe we could… or maybe I could… uhm… come to your room tonight?"

Reid nodded absentmindedly, but then shook his head. "Can't, I'm paired up with Morgan this time, aren't you paired up with Blake?"

"I am, but she's a very tight sleeper," JJ replied and bit her lower lip. "What about the diner across the road from the hotel? We could have a midnight snack maybe?"

"Sounds like a plan, I would love something savory around that time," he replied and looked out of the window.

The drive back to the police station was spent in relative silence, each busy with their own thoughts.

* * *

The evening found them in the diner across the street from the hotel after everybody had gone to bed. Reid had ordered a large cheeseburger and fries while JJ ordered only just a small portion of onion rings, sometimes grabbing one of his fries and munching on it. Tonight, her diet was out of the window.

She'd allowed Spencer to stay quiet for a little while, but she found her patience running out. "Okay, so it's time to spill," she said lightly, trying to sound teasing while she was being deadly serious.

Spencer swallowed his bite and looked at her, gathering the courage to tell her what he was about to. He decided it was just best to be upfront with her. "Kerry Mortimer is my ex-girlfriend," he said.

JJ didn't say anything, only looked at him to encourage him further.

"We uhm… met at Bennington since both of our mothers are in there. She understood what I was going through since it was just her and her mother as well. She helped me overcome by guilt of putting my mom in there," he said and took a sip of his water.

"How come you broke up?" She asked, truly intrigued.

Spencer looked up at her, a bright blush on his face. This part of the story he was hesitant to tell her about, even more than about the fact that they used to have a relationship. He zoned out slightly, remembering the night Kerry broke up with him.

_Spring 1998:_

_Spencer rolled over on his stomach and watched Kerry get dressed. "Where are you going?" He asked as he sat up slowly, wrapping the sheet around his body. He felt self conscious once again, even after what they had just done. It hadn't lasted very long, and he'd blamed it on his lack of experience. _

"_I'm moving to New York Spencer," Kerry replied as she adjusted her skirt. "I uhm… we have to break up."_

_Spencer frowned, "Where is this coming from Ker?" He wondered. They'd just had the most amazing night of their lives, at least it had been for him and now she was telling him she was breaking up with him? "I could always come see you in New York… I… I'd be almost right around the corner in Cambridge," he said. _

"_Forget it Spencer," she replied and grabbed her coat, leaving his bedroom and walking out of the house. _

_He heard the front door slam and got up from the bed, going into the bathroom. He immediately regretted what they had just done and most especially that he'd allowed her to be his first one. He bit his lower lip, wanting to stop the tears from falling and stepped under the shower._

Present day:

"Spence?" JJ whispered as he told her the whole story. His voice had been monotonous throughout his rendering of the story. She reached out for his hand and squeezed it. "You do realize it's not because of what happened between you physically, right?"

"How could he think anything else?" He asked and looked at their joined hands. "I never knew she came back to Vegas permanently," he said.

JJ reached out her other hand and got up from her seat slightly so she could cup his cheek to make him look at her. "Spence, I'm sure it had nothing to do with you. She probably wanted to be a free girl when she moved to New York."

Spencer looked deeply into her eyes. In all honesty this experience with Kerry had made him hold back over the years. He had had his crushes and he'd fallen in love but he'd always been afraid that the women would run once things became too serious and physical. This was also one of the reasons he was afraid of becoming intimate with JJ. "Thank you for listening JJ…"

"Anytime," she whispered in return, sensing that he was done talking about it for now. "Now… I would love to taste that cheeseburger," she said and smiled.

Spencer's eyes widened slightly, "JJ… do you have any idea how…"

"I don't care; we kiss as well, don't we?" She asked, successfully shutting him up. She grabbed the burger with both hands and took a large bite, chewing happily and grinning at him.

He couldn't understand how she could still look sexy chewing the burger away like that. He swallowed, the warmth in his body spreading once again. "I uhm… can I have one of your onion rings?"

"Sure," she replied after swallowing, putting the burger back on his plate. She watched how he ate it and was amazed once again at his insecurity. "Spence," she started.

"Hmmm?" He replied, an onion ring in his mouth.

"You do know I'm not going to run away from you, right?" She asked, meaning that no matter when they decided to get intimate together, she wouldn't turn away from him.

"Really?"

"Yes, you know why? Because I love you," she whispered and smiled when he blushed.

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

_A/N: Blame it on my diet that I'm writing about cheeseburgers and fries. Need to lose approximately 55 pounds for a healthy weight… Since I started last Friday I already lost 10! _


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Spencer's confession didn't sit right with JJ at all. He seemed far too calm for just having lost another girlfriend, ex this time, through the hands of a killer. She hoped he wouldn't keep it all inside this time and that he knew she was right there to guide him through anything. She looked around, especially across the street to make sure no one from the team was there before sliding around to his side of the table.

"JJ?" He asked, looking up at her with confusion, "Someone could see us," he said and tried to keep his distance from her.

"For once I don't care at all, I just want you to know I'm here for you and that you can tell me if something is bothering you," she whispered and wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling his side against hers.

He relaxed slightly under her touch and let out a deep breath. He wasn't sure how to tell her he was afraid that something bad was going to happen to her. Somehow it felt as if all the women he became involved with, whom he loved, were killed. He knew the fear was irrational, but he couldn't help but think about losing JJ and how it would tear him up inside. If that happened he would be beyond repair.

JJ gave him his moment of silence, knowing he was in deep thought at the moment. She started to gently run her hand up and down his side and rested her head on his shoulder. She wanted to take away the burden that was his mind and have him feel complete relaxation for once in his life.

"JJ I… I don't think we should do this anymore," he whispered, looking down at the table. He said this to protect her and to protect himself of being broken if something happened to her. If he was honest to himself he didn't want to break this up, but this was his fear talking and for the moment he couldn't think straight. He expected her to be angry and to walk away, but instead he felt how she pulled him even closer to her.

JJ let out a deep sigh and swallowed her tears away, holding him tightly against her. "I know you don't mean that Spence, so please don't say it again," she said and reached out a hand to make him face her. She could see his furrowed brows and the sadness in her eyes. She might not be the best profiler out of their team, but she could see what was worrying him. "You're afraid something is going to happen to me because I'm involved with you…" she said and smiled softly when his eyes met hers. "You know that's irrational right? It doesn't have anything to do with you, Kerry and Maeve, this would've happened without your involvement as well."

He shook his head, "Kerry maybe, but not Maeve JJ, not her," he said and looked back at the table. "I can't help but feel as if something is wrong with me," he confessed.

"Spence," JJ said gently but firmly to make him look at her again, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are the kindest, gentlest and most caring man I've ever met and I am very much in love with you."

Spencer let out a shaky sigh and then nodded slowly, "I love you too JJ," he whispered and looked deeply into her eyes, seeing nothing but love reflected in her blue orbs.

"Now, this was the last time you get to be insecure of yourself, deal?" She said and tried to make him smile, smiling at him lovingly. "Next time it's going to be me who is insecure and you trying to cheer me up."

He frowned at her, "Why would you be insecure?"

"Because I have the most gorgeous man next to me who deserves so much better than me," she whispered and blushed slightly.

He shook his head, "JJ I'm not that… gorgeous… If anyone is lucky it's me."

JJ blushed and smiled gently at him, running her hand over his cheek. She leaned in closer and closed her eyes, brushing her lips against his. She could feel his hesitation, probably a little worry about their teammates being this close, but he soon relaxed and deepened the kiss.

Spencer wrapped both of his arms around her waist, running one hand down to the small of her back, while the other came up to hold the back of her head. He let out small whisper of a sigh and ran his tongue over her bottom lip.

JJ released a soft moan and allowed his tongue entrance to her mouth. She brought her hand to the back of his head, slightly tugging at his hair which elicited a soft groan from his lips. She pulled back slowly and smile shyly at him, her lips red and slightly swollen from their kiss. "We should probably go get some sleep," she whispered and pulled away from him slowly.

He nodded in response and grabbed one more fry, "I'd hate to see this go to waste though," he grinned and stuffed the fry in his mouth.

With a grin JJ grabbed his, now lukewarm, cheeseburger and took another huge bite. "Here, that should do," she said after swallowing, pecking his lips once more and getting up. She wanted to grab her purse to pay, but he stopped her.

"It's on me," he replied and left the money on the table, along with their tip. "It's the least I can do after you cheering me up just now."

"Anytime Spence, I mean it," JJ replied and wrapped her arms around him, stopping him from moving outside. She hugged him tightly and pecked his lips before pulling back. From now on they'd have to act as co-workers again.

* * *

The next morning Reid had to walk straight to the break room for a cup of coffee. He felt tired after spending a few hours with JJ at the diner late last night and he was now dealing with the consequences. After pouring the coffee into the cup and adding spoonfuls of sugar he took a large sip, letting out a soft sigh.

"You look like you've been hit by a truck," Rossi commented as he entered the break room behind Reid.

Reid blushed instantly, afraid that he would slip up and spill the secret of him and JJ. "I uhm… didn't sleep that well," he said, which wasn't an entire lie. After coming back to the hotel last night he spent some time staring at the ceiling before falling into a restless sleep.

"Same here, the mattress was terrible," Rossi chuckled as he grabbed himself a cup of coffee as well.

"Exactly, sleeping in a wrong position during the night is proven to have a bad influence on your day," Reid commented, not going into any scientific details. He tried to keep his shares of knowledge short and understandable as JJ had advised him a while ago.

Rossi nodded and looked around, "Can I help you with the geographical profile maybe?" He asked, needing a moment alone with the young man.

Reid frowned a little bit but nodded warily, "Sure," he said as he went ahead to the small room that had been set up for him. A large map of the Las Vegas area graced a white board on the opposite wall and another map was lying on the table. Reid had added colored pins for each victim.

Rossi closed the door behind them and looked at the map on the table. Truth was; he wasn't all that interested in the geographical profile at this point because it seemed pretty straightforward so far. No, he wanted to talk to Reid about what he saw at the diner across the street from the hotel. He had seen how the two youngest team members shared an intimate moment late at night. He hadn't been able to sleep and had wandered into the diner to have a late night snack.

"So uhm, I've given each victim a different color to show their homes, their work and places they frequented," Reid started, but noticed that Rossi wasn't looking at the map, but at him. "What uhm… what's up?"

"I just wanted to give you a heads up to be more careful," Rossi started, enjoying the look of confusion on the younger man's face. "You and JJ," he offered as means of explanation.

Reid's face became red instantly, "I uhm… what do you mean?"

"Lying doesn't suit you kid," Rossi grinned, "Don't worry, I won't say anything. As a matter of fact, I'm happy for you, both of you."

"I uhm… we…" Reid stammered, "How did you see us?"

"I was in the far corner of the diner. I saw the both of you looking around a few times, but you didn't see me… clearly," he said and patted Reid's back. "As I said, no worries."

Reid nodded and swallowed nervously, "I uhm… alright, t-thank you."

"No problem, I'll see you later kid," Rossi said before walking out, a huge grin on his face.

"See you later," Reid replied meekly. _Oh dear…_

* * *

**TBC**


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: So yeah, I guess almost everybody knows now... Oops! Also, I don't know how long it would take for a human body to freeze all the way through, I googled but found way too many answers. Sorry if this is incorrect!

* * *

**Chapte****r 32**

The team stood in the large room which was filling up slowly with police officers and detectives. Hotch waited until everybody had found themselves a place to sit or stand before starting. "The man we are looking for is targeting women, specifically between their late twenties and mid-thirties which tells us he is in his late thirties or early forties. He keeps the women somewhere for three days until dumping them, frozen, on the side of a busy road."

Reid stepped forward, "Since it takes about forty-eight hours for a human body to freeze entirely, he doesn't spend a long time with the women alive."

"He has his own means of transportation, a vehicle that you wouldn't suspect when you see it on the shoulder of a highway. He could be using a priority vehicle such as an ambulance or he could use a truck," Morgan said as he looked around the group of officers. He didn't mention they could also be looking for a police car since that was usually a sensitive topic.

Hotch took over again, "We want you to be on the lookout for any suspicious vehicles on the shoulders of the various roads and highways around Las Vegas. JJ will take care of the media to make all the women in the Las Vegas area aware of the risk of going out alone. Thank you." He stepped away and looked at the officers crowding together.

Reid turned around and tapped JJ's shoulder. "Do you uhm… have a minute before you have your meeting with the media?" He asked, looking around to see if anyone else was looking at them.

JJ frowned and then nodded, following him into the room where he'd been working on the geographical profile. "What's up Spence?" She asked, slightly worried by his deer-in-headlights expression.

"Rossi uhm… Rossi was at the diner last night," he started, "he saw us."

JJ's eyes widened slightly. She looked over her shoulder and saw that they were all alone. "How uhm… how do you feel about that?" She asked. She didn't care, she was ready to come out and tell everybody about her feelings for Spencer, but she wasn't sure if he'd be ready to do the same. She wanted to stick to his pace and not rush him because of her own needs.

Reid looked down at his feet, as if he'd be able to find the answer on the floor in front of him. His cheeks were red as he looked back up at JJ again. "I think I'm ready to tell everybody," he admitted, causing his cheeks to redden even more. "I am ready to deal with the consequences; I will leave when Strauss finds out and doesn't want us on the team anymore. I can teach, I…" he started but JJ silenced him with a short and sweet kiss.

"The moment you want to tell them, let me know," she whispered, running her hand over his cheek. "So I guess you're my boyfriend now then?" She asked, giggling slightly at the sound of that.

"I uhm… I guess so," Reid replied and smiled shyly. "Thank you JJ, for being so patient with me," he said and cleared his throat when Hotch came in.

"JJ, the media is waiting outside for a statement, could you… please?" Hotch said and turned to Reid. "Do you have anything more on the geographical profile?"

Reid shuffled nervously and nodded, furrowing his brows, "I uhm… I estimate that our killer lives approximately here," he said, squeaking slightly as he pointed to a point on the map.

Hotch nodded, "Alright, ask Garcia to find all the truck drivers, EMTs, firemen and policemen in that area," he said before leaving the room again.

Reid let out a deep sigh and allowed his mind to wander a little bit. So much had happened in the past weeks. Maeve's passing, JJ breaking up with Will, the two of them slowly testing the water. And now, now he had a girlfriend. He smiled at the thought of their night at the diner, her kiss had unleashed something deep within him and he could feel something had happened inside of JJ as well.

He cleared his throat to bring himself out of his thoughts and grabbed his cell phone. "Garcia, I need you to find something for me."

"_Anything Boy Wonder, what do you need exactly?"_

"I need you to find all truck drivers, EMTs, firemen and policemen in the area I just e-mailed to you. Could you do it quickly?"

"_Has there ever been a time you had to wait for my answer?"_

He grinned slightly, "Never Garcia, never."

* * *

Bree looked around the small room. She let out a yelp when she saw the form in plastic next to her. Two dead blue eyes were staring at her through an opening in the bag. Her breathing sped up as she tried to find away to release the shackles on her wrist from which she was hanging. "No, please no," she pleaded as a man entered with a large butcher's knife.

The man grinned wickedly as he made his way over her. He put the knife aside and grabbed the duct tape, effectively silencing her. "We are going to have a lot of fun," he grinned as he grabbed the knife again, tracing it teasingly over her stomach before cutting through her t-shirt.

Bree whimpered and closed her eyes, afraid of what was going to happen next. She felt her hot tears trickle down her cheeks as she shook in fear. "Mmmmph," she moaned as she felt the knife make its way towards her throat before it was jammed into her stomach. Her eyes widened and she wanted to scream but found herself unable to.

"Hmm, hurts doesn't it?" He chuckled as he watched her whimper in pain before she fainted. "Now come on, you're no fun," he mocked and placed the knife inside. He decided he'd let her come back to her senses for a while. It was nearly time to give the other her resting place anyway. He looked lovingly towards the plastic bag left of Bree. "You were my favorite so far," he whispered before exiting the small room.

He started the engine and drove away from Las Vegas, in the direction of Jean airport down the Interstate 15. He sang along with the song on his radio, enjoying the nice sun that was setting low on the horizon. He whistled and wondered how long it was going to take the police to find his favorite woman.

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

A/N: A bit short, but this felt like a good place to leave off and to be honest I'm not quite sure what the next scene is going to be…


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

"We have another body," the detective announced as she looked at the group of profilers having gathered early in the morning in the common room of the police station. "Her name is Jennifer Janssen; we found her body near the I-15."

Hotch looked around, meeting the faces of his team members. "Rossi, Blake, I want you to head to the dumpsite, Morgan and I will go see the ME. Reid, you add our victim to your geographical profile. JJ I want you to stay here for any media," Hotch spoke quickly and clearly.

The team members each went to their separate tasks. Reid shuffled around inside the room where he could work on the geographical profile. He had to shake his head to keep his thoughts together; this victim sharing names with JJ upset him slightly. It made him think of her being in danger and being killed and he tried his hardest to ban the thoughts from his mind.

"Spence?" JJ's voice came from the doorway as if she'd sensed he was upset. She gave him a soft smile and closed the door behind her.

Spencer turned around and matched her smile, relieved to see she was alone. "JJ… I don't know what's happening to me anymore," he confessed and furrowed his brows, "I hate it when there's something I don't know."

JJ gave a small laugh, "Now you know what it's like to be me when I'm around you," she teased slightly and took a step closer to him. "I uhm… I guess that's what happens when you're in love," she said and looked over her shoulder. In truth she didn't care if anyone would see them at this moment, but she wanted to tell the team first and not surprise him like that.

"I guess, I just… when I heard the victim's name I just had to think about how it would be to lose you. I don't want to think about that JJ," Spencer confessed, also not caring who would see them at this moment, for he closed the distance between them and took her in his arms, pulling him close to remind him that she was in fact here with him.

JJ let out a soft sigh and rested her head against his shoulder, "I love you Spence," she whispered and rested her hands on her back. "You won't lose me, I promise."

Spencer rested his head atop of hers for a moment and closed his eyes, "I love you too Jennifer," he whispered in return.

JJ pulled back slowly and looked up to meet his eyes. "I can't wait for this case to be over and for us to be able to tell everyone, it would make things so much easier," she said and let out a deep sigh. "I just… I'm not sure what to tell Henry, I'm afraid he'll be even more confused than he already is."

"Then don't tell him JJ," Spencer replied. "He's already used to me being over there more than I used to and he loves it, right?" He saw her nod before he continued. "He doesn't need to know yet."

"I just want you to be able to stay over and not having to worry about sleeping in the same bed or cuddling together on the couch of kissing each other in the kitchen, I..." JJ said and ran a hand over her face.

Spencer smiled gently, "I'm sure we could think of something, I could keep my distance from you and then when Henry's not around…"

JJ laughed, "You might be, but I'm not," she confessed as her laugh died down. "I mean it Spence, I want things to work between the two of us."

"Me too JJ, me too," Spencer replied and looked over her shoulder to see the detective was coming their way. He looked at her with a small warning glare which she immediately understood because she moved a little further away from him.

"Miss Jareau?" The detective asked as she opened the door, "there are a few journalists outside who want a story, could you…?"

JJ nodded, "I'll see you later Spence," she said before leaving the room, leaving the detective in the doorway.

Jessica closed the door behind her. She had been waiting for a moment alone with the doctor. He intrigued her and she wanted to see how he would react to a little bit of harmless flirtation. "Dr Reid, could you walk me through your work here?" She asked, moving to the table behind him.

Reid nodded warily, furrowing his brows, "Uhm… sure," he squeaked slightly, not sure why the detective had closed the door behind her. "As you can see we have various colors on the map here, each color represents a victim. I marked their homes, their work and the other locations they frequented. By triangulation I was able to figure out that the UnSub should live in this area," he said pointing at the map.

Jessica wasn't watching the map; instead she was looking at him. The man next to her was very handsome and she felt incredibly attracted to him. "Wow, impressive that you were able to deduce that from such little information," she said, moving closer to him, her upper arm brushing against his.

Reid cleared his throat and stepped aside, wondering what she was up to. He figured as long as he would ramble about the case she would be focused on that instead of on him. He gave her some statistics about UnSub's kidnapping strangers and told her about some previous cases which were slightly similar. It didn't seem to be working; the detective kept to be inching closer to him.

She reached out her hand to place it on his arm, "Dr Reid," she asked again to make him face her. "Once this case is over, would you like to go out and have a drink?" She asked boldly.

Reid stuttered slightly, blushing deeply, "I uhm… I don't… I'm not sure that's such a good idea," he said, not sure how to react. When he saw JJ return behind the detective he swallowed and looked straight at the detective. "I don't want to and I can't because I'm already involved," he said, trying not to look at JJ in fear of giving them away.

His reaction was effective enough; the detective soon left the small room, allowing Reid to take a deep breath before JJ walked in again.

JJ raised an eyebrow when she took him in, "Are you alright? What happened?"

Spencer shook his head slightly and frowned, "I uhm… I'm not quite sure actually… I think she uhm… I think she hit on me just now," he said, confusion written all over her face.

JJ let out a small giggle, "You really don't see it, do you?" She asked, reaching up to shortly cup his red cheek.

"See what?"

"How attractive you are," she said and smiled gently. "I guess it's good though, I wouldn't want you to turn into Morgan."

"What's wrong with Morgan?" Spencer frowned.

"Morgan is too aware of how he attractive he is, which tends to make him arrogant sometimes," she explained, smiling at how oblivious he could be sometimes.

Spencer frowned, trying to wrap his mind around what she was telling him. "You think Morgan is attractive?"

JJ smiled, "I do, but I'm not _attracted_ to him," she said, watching the confusion on his face.

"What's the difference?" He asked, starting to feel slightly insecure about himself. If JJ found Morgan attractive, what was she doing with him.

JJ sighed and tried to figure out how to explain this to him. "Well, the detective just now, did you think she was good looking, was she attractive?"

Spencer blushed and nodded, "Uhm… yeah… I guess…"

"But do you want to go out with her, kiss her and… I don't know, do… naughty things to her?"

"No!" Reid almost yelped, squeaky and reached out his hand to pull JJ closer to him.

"So you're not _attracted_ to her," she explained. "See?"

He nodded slightly, rubbing his hand over her side. "I guess. So if I want to kiss you that means I'm attracted to you?" He asked, moving his hand up to cup her cheek.

JJ nodded weakly, locking eyes with him. "Yes," she whispered. When she saw him inching closer she placed her hand against his chest to stop him. "Spence… we're at the station, we have to be careful."

"I don't care," he muttered before closing the distance between them, his hand going up in her hair and bunching it together as he pulled her closer against him with his other hand.

JJ let out a soft whimper as she kissed him back, running her tongue along his bottom lip. All she wanted to do now was take off his shirt and run her hands over his bare chest and back. She moaned into his mouth as he started rubbing her lower back, pressing her hips against him, feeling his arousal against her stomach. She blushed; still surprised she seemed to be the one he wanted.

He pulled back for air, allowing her to take a deep breath as well before his lips crashed back upon hers.

"Spence," JJ moaned, her legs weaker from the intensity of his kiss.

"Don't think, all that matters is you and me right now," he whispered, his hand massaging her head. "It's just us," he said and kissed her once more. He almost didn't recognize himself for a moment. He should be focused on his job, on their case. This could cost him his job. For once in his life Spencer Reid didn't care. All he cared about was the woman in his arms, he thought as he kissed her passionately.

* * *

**TBC**


	34. Chapter 34

_A/N: I wasn't feeling to happy with the last chapter, Reid and JJ got way too distracted from the case and the flirtatious detective was just terrible. So… sorry about that! Here's a little shout out to 65, your reviews are definitely coming through, thank you! Anyway, on with chapter 34!_

* * *

**Chapter 34**

Spencer pulled back from their intimate kiss slowly, smiling at JJ's slightly swollen lips. He let out a soft sigh and stepped backwards, glad that nobody had caught them just now. He was surprised how she could make his mind spin and destroy his walls and inhibitions. "I love you," he whispered and smiled gently at her.

JJ blushed and smiled back, "I love you too, I'll see you around, better get back to work now," she said and pecked his lips one more time before leaving him behind with his map and colored pins.

Reid let out a deep sigh and shook his head. He needed to focus but found himself nearly unable to. After a large sip from his coffee he grabbed the blue pins and started placing them on the map, indicating the home and work of their last victim. They didn't have much time, there was a large chance that their UnSub already had his next victim, in which case they could expect a body to show up the day after tomorrow. She would have approximately 24 hours to live still.

"Yo pretty boy, anything new?" Morgan asked as he barged into the room. He stood next to Reid and looked at the map, pointing at the area that Reid had marked. "Garcia called, she has a list of truck drivers, cops, EMTs and firemen in the area," he said, "she sent it to our phones."

Reid nodded, "Please tell me you printed one?" He asked. He didn't like reading from the small screen on his phone.

Morgan grinned, "Of course kid, here you go," he replied and handed Reid a list of approximately fifty names in the area. "How do you want to go about narrowing this down?"

"Well I don't suppose all of these people bring their truck or car home from work, we're looking for someone who does," Reid replied, biting the end of a marker. "Can you call Garcia again?"

"Already on it," Morgan said as he held up his phone. "Sweet cheeks, I need your help. Can you narrow down the list you sent to people who bring home their trucks or work vehicles?"

Garcia grinned on the other side of the line, "_Nothing more challenging this time hot stuff?_"

"Sorry momma," Morgan smiled. "So what've you got?"

Garcia typed away quickly and looked at the screen, "_Twenty names, anything else?"_

Morgan looked at Reid, to see if he'd been following the conversation, he had. "Could you filter the type of cars and trucks Garcia?"

"_See our resident genius _is_ able to make things a bit more challenging for me_," Garcia replied and the two men could hear her typing. "_Uhm… let's see, I have about thirteen regular trucks, three ambulances, four patrol cars and two… wow… two trucks for transport of frozen produce."_

Morgan's eyes widened, suddenly their investigation took an unexpected turn in the right direction. "Names baby girl, I need names."

"_Look at your phone chocolate god of mine, Garcia out_," was Garcia's last reply.

"Let's take this to Hotch," Reid said and opened the door, allowing Morgan to walk out first. When they passed JJ he saw her confused look. "We've got two names, we need to head over there," he said quickly.

"Hotch!" Morgan almost yelled to get attention. When their boss turned around Morgan explained what Garcia had told them. "It's one of them, I can feel it Hotch," Morgan said.

Hotch nodded, "Alright, let's team up. Morgan, Reid and Blake, you head to the first address. JJ, Rossi, you're with me, we'll go to the other one."

Within minutes everybody had strapped on their bulletproof vests and was heading towards the SUVs.

* * *

"Is he alright?" Was the first thing Hotch asked Morgan on the phone after being called. He closed his eyes momentarily and let out a relieved sigh. It seemed like his team member was going to be alright. "Okay, thank you. Yes, we'll meet you there."

JJ was staring at Hotch, trying to read his expression. She couldn't stop the panic from rising in her chest as realization hit her. "What happened? Is Reid okay?"

Hotch nodded, "He's being brought to Desert Palm Hospital right now, let's head that way as well."

Rossi had a worried frown on his head, but felt relief when he heard their youngest co-worker was going to be okay. "What about the UnSub?"

"Morgan shot him. They were just in time to save his latest victim, Bree Williams, she is on her way to the hospital as well," Hotch replied, driving quickly towards the hospital.

Upon their arrival at the hospital JJ wasn't able to stay back anymore, she rushed towards the waiting area to wait for Reid coming out of surgery. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she didn't care about holding them back anymore. She couldn't lose him. She started pacing the waiting room until Morgan stopped her, making her sit down next to him.

"JJ…" Morgan started, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to allow her to cry against him. "He's going to be fine, I promise," he said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

JJ looked up at him, eyes red rimmed and tear stains on her cheeks. "I can't lose him Morgan, I just… I'm so scared of losing him," she admitted.

"You're not going to lose him JJ, not today," Morgan replied soothingly, running his hand over his friend's back. He saw how the other team members gathered in the waiting area, shock and fear written on their faces. He slowly let go of JJ, to make her aware that the others were there.

JJ sat up slightly and wiped at her eyes. She looked around at her friends and saw they were just as shaken up as she was.

All of them remained in silence in the waiting room for what seemed like hours until the doctor came. "Mr Reid is stable and asleep, but he could wake up any minute now. We were able to safely remove the bullet from his shoulder. It was a close call; the bullet missed the heart by just a few millimeters. You can go see him, but please don't crowd him, one at the time is best for now. He is in room 342."

Hotch nodded, "Thank you doctor," he said and waited until the doctor was out of sight. He turned to look at JJ and gave a ghost of a smile. "JJ, why don't you go in first?"

JJ frowned a little bit and wiped at her tears, "I uhm… why me sir? Morgan was there when it happened… maybe he'd like to…" she started, looking sideways at Morgan.

Hotch shook his head, "You go in first JJ, he needs you most right now," he said with a knowing glare. "We'll talk about this later."

JJ nodded weakly and made her way towards the room. She was afraid of what she was going to see once she got there. At the door she lingered, scared of facing what had happened to him. She opened the door slowly. It was dark in the room. She could hear the sound of his heartbeat, it was steady. She shuffled towards the bed and set down in the chair next to it.

His face was extremely pale, but she could see he was breathing on his own. She grabbed his free hand and brought it to her face, kissing his palm. Seeing him like this made another batch of tears pool in the corner of her eyes. She rubbed his hand over her cheek and closed her eyes, her tears pouring out. "I love you so much," she whispered against his hand and looked up at his face.

She brought up her hand to his cheek and caressed it carefully, "I was so afraid I lost you baby," she whispered and smiled through her tears when she saw him stir slightly. It seemed like his anesthesia from the surgery was wearing off. "Hi you," she whispered as his eyes focused on her.

Spencer tried to open his eyes a little more, "JJ…" he whispered in relief. His voice was slightly raspy so he tried to look around for something to drink.

JJ could see what he was trying to find. She got up from her chair and took a glass of water, adding a straw to it to make it easier for him to drink. "Here you go, careful," she said, holding the glass closer to him so he could drink.

Spencer laid his head back on the pillow, "Thank you," he said and tried to smile at her, his hand reaching out for her. "I'm… happy to… see you," he whispered, having a hard time talking for now.

"I'm very happy to see you're okay," JJ whispered, clearing her throat to get rid of the lump there. "I was so afraid of losing you for a moment," she confessed.

Spencer smiled tiredly, "Don't worry JJ, I'm like a disease, very difficult to get rid of," he attempted to joke, squeezing her hand. "I love you."

"I love you too Spence, so much."

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

_A/N2: I just couldn't put the scene of Reid getting hurt in words. I might try again later in some form of flashback, but for now I had to leave it out. Hope you don't mind!_


	35. Chapter 35

_A/N: I have no knowledge of any medical conditions etc. I imagine Reid being shot from the side at the opening near the shoulder in his vest. I realize that it's quite impossible for the bullet to have nearly missed his heart and not having hit any major organs/veins, but hey, it's fiction right? So Reid is going to be perfectly fine, I'll make sure._

* * *

**Chapter 35**

"Hey pretty boy, I brought you jell-o," Morgan said as he walked into Reid's hospital room the next day. The day before Reid hadn't been feeling up to visitors except for JJ, so today was the day all of them would come by. "I'm glad you got out okay kid," Morgan continued as he sat down on the chair next to Reid's hospital bed. "I wish it didn't have to be you in that bed though."

Reid frowned, "You wish it had been you that got shot?"

"Yeah, I mean… not that I like getting shot, but… you know, with everything you and JJ have going on," Morgan said, his soft side showing. He would have taken his younger friend's place in a heartbeat if it meant that Reid would be safe and sound. He was happy things weren't worse and he had to try his hardest not to think about that. "I sent her to the hotel by the way; she needed some sleep after staying all night last night."

Reid blushed at Morgan's mention of JJ. "I'll be fine Morgan, don't worry about me. You'll have someone to bug again soon enough," he teased.

"That's my boy," Morgan grinned. "Here, eat some jell-o, then my trip to the hospital cafeteria wasn't in vain."

Reid gladly took the small cup and spoon that Morgan handed him. "Thank you."

"No problem, I should make some room for other people," Morgan replied and left the room.

After everybody had visited it was JJ's turn again. It had been a good idea to go back to the hotel to freshen up a little, but she couldn't sleep as long as Spencer was in the hospital bed. She was back as soon as she had taken a shower and was just in time to see Hotch leave the hospital room.

Hotch gave her a small smile and decided to wait a little longer to bring up what he knew.

"Hey," JJ whispered upon entering Spencer's room. He was looking a lot better than yesterday; finally there was some color back in his face. She grinned when she saw the little cup of jell-o on the bedside table. "Did Morgan bring you that?"

Spencer nodded, "Who else?" He replied and matched her grin with one of his own. He opened her arms to her so she could give him a much needed hug.

JJ smiled and sat down after their hug. "How are you feeling?"

"As if I got hit by a bus, other than that… all peachy," he said and smiled at her. "They say I can go home in a few days if all keeps going well like it is now."

"About that…" JJ started and grabbed his hand. "I would love it if you came to stay with me and Henry so I could look after you for a while," she said and looked down at their joined hands, not quite sure what he would have to say about that.

Spencer squeezed her hand to make him look up at her, when she did he leaned towards her to give her a kiss. When she happily obliged he let out a soft sigh against her lips. "I would love to, that's very thoughtful of you."

"A little big egoistic as well," JJ murmured her reply against his lips. "I just love having you around, and so does Henry."

"And I love being around the both of you," Spencer replied and pulled back, the corner of his lip tugging upwards. "We would have to get some clothes at my place though," he said, thinking about how they would explain to Henry that his godfather was coming to stay for a few days.

JJ nodded, "Don't forget some of your books, I don't think Henry's collection would satisfy your mind," she said and chuckled.

Spencer pouted teasingly, "Actually, he has some pretty good titles that I would love to read with him," he replied with a small wink.

"I bet he can't wait," she said and leaned in to give him another kiss. "First you need to focus on getting better alright?"

Spencer nodded, "I definitely will, don't want to wait too long before seeing the little monkey again," he said and his eyes widened mid-thought, "has somebody called my mother?"

"I haven't yet, would you like me to? We could also wait and visit her when you're out of here. She might stress too much, knowing you got shot?" JJ wondered.

"Yeah, that does sound like a good idea, it seems like I'm losing my IQ points," he teased and let out a sigh. "So any news?" He asked. He was already bored, being in a hospital bed for a long time.

"As a matter of fact, yes," JJ replied and bit her lower lip, not quite sure how to break the news of Hotch having found out about them. "I uhm… we might have to tell the team sooner than we thought we would, I think they already know," she said.

Spencer nodded, "Wouldn't surprise me, how did you figure that out?"

"Hotch… he told me we needed to talk," JJ replied and shrugged. "I am not as concerned about it as I thought I would be."

"Me neither," came Spencer's reply. "Maybe uhm… are they still in the hospital?"

JJ nodded warily, "Yeah, why?"

"Well, why not tell them right this moment? I mean… now that they supposedly already know…" Spencer rambled.

"Uhm… yeah, I'll uh… go see if they're still out there," JJ said nervously before leaning towards him one more time to brush her lips against his. She paused for a moment and felt the heat rise in her face. She brushed her hand over his cheek and ran her tongue over her lower lip. "I love you," she whispered at pulling back.

"Love you back," he replied as he watched her leave his hospital room.

* * *

Back in the waiting room the team watched JJ come in, her face slightly flushed. "Hey guys," she started as she waited until all of them faced her. "Spence would like you to come see him in his room, all of you together," she said with a nervous smile.

Blake gave her an understanding smile and walked first, followed by Rossi, Morgan and Hotch. They made their way over to Reid's room and were soon standing around his bed.

Reid looked nervous. He swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled appreciatively when JJ said on his bed next to him. "We uhm… we'd like to tell you something," he started, looking at JJ.

"Ever since what happened with Will, Spence has been helping out a lot with Henry," she continued.

"JJ helped me a lot during that time as well, spending time with them helped me cope with my grief and eventually overcome it," was Reid's next line.

"Oh come on, just come out with it," Morgan chuckled, looking around at all the knowing smiles and grins.

JJ had to laugh slightly at his comment, "Fine, we're dating," she said and immediately blushed again.

* * *

**TBC**


	36. Chapter 36

_A/N: Terribly sorry for the delay on this, I'm not going to come up with any excuses. I am going to give you a warning though. Next week I'll be on a holiday and the week after I will start my new job. Expect updates to be less frequent, I hope you can understand._

* * *

**Chapter 36**

When the day that Spencer would be released from the hospital finally arrived JJ drove to Desert Palm to pick him up. She was wearing her sunglasses and a large smile on her face. She was looking forward to having him at her place to take care of him and she knew Henry would be ecstatic. First they had something to do while they were still in town and for that occasion she had bought a little gift.

"If that isn't my handsome doctor," she grinned as she took in the sight of him, all dressed on the edge of the hospital bed. She closed the distance between them with a couple of steps and reached out her hand to cup his cheek. "Hi," she whispered and captured his lips with hers.

Spencer closed his eyes, leaning into her touch and letting out a small moan at the contact. She'd been with him every day for as long as the nurses would allow her, but still he'd missed her touch. "Hi," he whispered in return when he pulled back from their passionate kiss. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she replied and leaned in for another short chaste kiss. "Are you all ready to go?"

"More than ready," he said and looked around the room, "I hate hospitals."

"I know you do, that's why you'll be cared for in a different environment from now on," she smiled and grabbed the wheelchair from the corner of the room. When she saw him scrunch up his face she chuckled. "Just sit… please?"

He let out a deep sigh and sat down, his bag in his lap and the discharge papers on top. He allowed her to wheel him past the nurse's desk towards the entrance of the hospital. "Alright, now that we're outside, let me walk," he said and started to get up, only to be pushed back down by JJ.

"Nu-uh, no walking for a little while longer mister," she replied and wheeled him towards the rental car, opening the door to the passenger side for him. "Oh, let me set that aside," she said as she grabbed the gift bag, putting it on the backseat.

Spencer grinned, "You didn't have to get me anything," he said and slid into the car, buckling up. He watched JJ's grin before she brought the wheelchair back to the hospital entrance. When she came back her grin was still evident on her face. "What?"

"It's not a gift for you," she said and got in the car, buckling up and starting it. She programmed the address of Bennington into the Etak system and smiled sideways at him. "I bought her a book, I hope it's one she doesn't have yet," she said and followed the directions the navigation system gave her.

Spencer smiled at how thoughtful it was of her to get his mother a gift, "I'm sure she'll love it, otherwise I can always trade with her if it's one that I don't have yet."

JJ smiled gently, "Oh I'm sure you have it already," she said and reached out her hand to grab his. She gave it a gentle squeeze as she focused her eyes on the road ahead of them. Within a few minutes they arrived. "Wait a minute," JJ said before getting out of the car and to his side. She was determined to allow him to lean on her if necessary.

"I'm not an invalid," Spencer retorted but allowed her to help him step out of the car.

"I know you're not, I just like to feel needed," she replied and ran her hand over his side, pulling him closer to her as she clutched the gift bag in her other hand.

Spencer stopped them and turned in her embrace, wrapping his arms around her. He looked deeply into her eyes and swallowed, suddenly slightly nervous about what he was going to say. "I do need you," he whispered, slightly squeaky.

JJ blushed instantly, her eyes never leaving his. "I need you too," she whispered in response and leaned in to capture his lips with her own. She tightened her hold on him, as if she was afraid of losing him if she didn't hold him tight enough. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip, begging for permission to deepen the kiss.

He allowed her instantly, letting out a soft moan at their passionate kiss. Their tongues danced together to a rhythm that seemed unique to them; as if their bodies had known all along they were meant to be. "JJ…" he whispered, pulling back just slightly. "I uhm… I need to stop," he admitted, blushing at his arousal.

She smiled gently, "Me too," she whispered, her eyes clouded with passion as she looked up at him. She took a moment to compose herself before pulling back even more, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "I love you."

"Love you back," he replied and looked towards Bennington, a small sigh escaping his mouth. He wasn't sure if his mom would be alright today, he just hoped she was. "Let's go," he said and led JJ towards the main entrance.

* * *

Upon walking into his mother's room, Spencer immediately knew she was having a clear day. He smiled at JJ, who walked behind him just slightly, a little nervous. "Hi mom," he said to make her aware of their presence.

Diana turned around and smiled, "Spencer, it's so good to see you," she said and smiled, looking at JJ. "And Jennifer, I'm so glad you decided to come with, how are you?"

JJ blushed a little at the immediate recognition, "I'm doing good Mrs Reid, how are you today?"

"Oh please dear, call me Diana," she replied and motioned for them to sit down with her. "I am so glad this finally happened," she said, a large smile on her face. She seemed happy and relieved that her son was doing so well and that the woman next to him was the reason. "Tell me, how long has this been?" She asked as she turned to Spencer.

Spencer blushed as well, taking JJ's hand in his, "It's uhm… it's been official for just a few days now, but I think we… I… knew for quite a long time," he admitted, looking at her lovingly.

Diana smiled brightly, "I'm so glad Spencer, you deserve to be happy after all that happened," she said.

"I am happy mom, truly happy," he whispered and turned to look at JJ, locking eyes with her for just a little while.

"I have something for you Mrs Reid... Diana," JJ said as she grabbed the gift bag, handing it to Diana.

"Oh you shouldn't have," Diana replied and unwrapped it, looking at the book in her hands. "Thomas Merton... I don't think I have that one yet."

At the mention of the author Spencer turned to JJ, a confused look on his face.

"I figured you'd like to continue sharing Thomas Merton, and since... well... I think you'd like to do so with your mom."

Spencer smiled gently at her, a grateful smile, "Thank you," he mouthed.

* * *

They didn't stay for a very long time and decided to spend their last night in Vegas together, dining out before they would head towards the airport. "What are you in the mood for?" Spencer asked as soon as they were in the car. "I know a few places…"

JJ bit her lower lip for a minute, "I would love Thai, but I don't think you'd become very enthusiastic about the idea of chopsticks, right?"

Spencer grinned, "I uhm… no, but if that's what you're in the mood for, I'm sure I could… ask for a fork or… Thai then?"

"That would be great Spence," she whispered, "I'll help you… again," she teased and gave him a wink. "I love you."

"Love you too, let's go. I'll tell you which turns to take so you don't have to use that… thing," he said and shook his head a bit.

"Are you that anti-technology?"

"Not really, I just… I have it all in my head, I know shorter and quicker routes here in Vegas than that thing," he mumbled.

"Not just in Vegas right?"

"Right… Let's just go," he replied and turned to her with a smile.

"Alright, Mr Navigator."

**TBC**


	37. Chapter 37

_A/N: After the holidays and my first hectic week at work I finally have time to create a new chapter for you. I hope you like it and that I'll be able to update sooner this time._

* * *

**Chapter 37**

They had contemplated driving home because of Spencer's condition, but when he mentioned it would take 35 hours of continuous driving to get from Las Vegas to Quantico, JJ had decided they would have to hang around for a little while longer until he was cleared to fly.

"What about Henry JJ? Will he be alright with you staying away that long? I can manage here, trust me, I'll be fine," Spencer said as he took a good look at his girlfriend, blushing at the thought that that was what she was to him now. "I will come visit you as soon as I'm back home."

"I'm staying Spence, no matter what you say. Everything is taken care of, don't you worry," she replied with a soft smile. She had arranged for her mom to come to Vegas with him for a short holiday. She had planned to keep this a secret from him, but when she saw the worried look on his face she smiled. "No worries Spence, Henry is coming over with my mom."

Spencer nearly choked on the water he was sipping as they sat on a bench near the hotel. "Y-Your mom… are you sure? I mean… what does she think… does she know about… you know…?" He rambled nervously, blood rushing to his cheeks.

"Relax honey, she knows and I'm sure she's going to love you. I mean, who doesn't love you?" She said and reached out her hand to grab his.

"H-Honey?" Spencer frowned. He had never been giving any nickname of the sort except from Garcia. He had to admit to himself that it felt right to have her use that word for him.

JJ chuckled, "Come on, Garcia calls you worse right?"

He nodded quickly, "I just… it surprised me, that's all."

"If you want I could try and find another nickname, like…" JJ started and pursed her lips, letting out a giggle. "Sweet cheeks… dove… peanut…"

"Peanut?"

"Yeah, that's a no go," JJ chuckled as she looked sideways at him. "So uhm… it's going to take another ten hours before they get here. Is there anything you'd like to do in the mean time?"

Spencer furrowed his brow, "Ride the rollercoaster at the Stratosphere?" He joked.

JJ playfully nudged his shoulder, "I'm serious," she whispered and looked at him.

"Can we just read to each other in the hotel room?" Spencer asked, looking down at their joined hands.

"Sounds like a good plan," JJ replied and leaned over to kiss him softly on his cheek.

* * *

"Mommy! Unca 'Pence!" Henry came running towards the couple that awaited his arrival at the airport.

JJ picked him up and held him close to her, "I missed you little guy. Now remember what I told you on the phone, you have to be really careful with Uncle Spence because of his boo-boo, do you remember?"

Henry nodded rapidly and looked over at his godfather. "Did mommy kiss it to make it better Unca 'Pence?" He asked as he slowly walked over, not sure if he was allowed to hug his godfather or not.

When Spencer opened his arms for him he carefully hugged him and grinned. "You need to get better Unca 'Pence so you can come home with me," he said.

"And mommy," Spencer added and ruffled the boys hair. "I will bud, I definitely will."

After interacting it was time to face JJ's mother, who had been watching the conversation between the two of them with a small smile on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs Jareau," Spencer said and extended his hand to shake hers.

Sandy might have felt a little reserve towards the young man at first, but after seeing him interact with her grandson and seeing the loving look her daughter was throwing him, all that was gone. She pulled him into a hug carefully and smiled. "It's my pleasure Spencer, and please call me Sandy."

Spencer blushed and looked at JJ, not sure how to go from here. He lowered himself to be Henry's level again and carefully performed a magic trick to keep Henry entertained.

JJ noticed this and stepped a bit further with her mother. "Thank you so much for coming over mom, I just couldn't leave him out here all by himself and I didn't want to be away from Henry for too long either."

Sandy smiled, "You know I felt that you should try again with Will, but now that I've seen the two of you and seen the way he interacts with Henry, I… let's just say I trust you Jennifer, he seems like a really nice man."

"He is mom, and Henry loves him so much," JJ replied as she watched her two favorite guys.

"What about you Jennifer?"

JJ blushed and looked down at her feet. "I uhm… I think I have tried to hold it inside for too long. With everything that happened I started to realize that I needed to act on these feelings now," she said and looked up at her mother. "Yes, I love him."

Sandy smiled and pulled her daughter in a tight hug. "In that case I hope everything will continue to work out well for you. I would love to have the both of you over for the holidays," she said. "I know they're a long way from now, but consider this my invitation."

"Thanks mom," JJ replied and turned to Spencer and Henry. "Come on boys, let's go get changed and head out for dinner."

"Pizza!" Henry nearly yelled as he bounced up and down between his mother and his godfather. "Can we mommy, please?"

"I don't know baby, do you think Uncle Spence and grandma would be okay with that?"

Spencer exchanged glances with JJ's mother. They both shrugged. "Pizza is fine," they replied in near unison, smiling at each other when Henry squealed his excited 'yay!'.

JJ rolled her eyes and grabbed Spence's hand, Henry walking in front of them. They made their way over to the Pizza Hut near the airport, finding a cozy table near the window. JJ sat next to Henry and opposite Spencer, who seemed to be nervous to be sitting next to her mother. "What kind of pizza would you like little guy?" She asked as she ruffled his hair, looking at the menu.

"Mushy rooms!" Henry said, a large grin on his face as he took a sip of his lemonade. "I like mushy rooms, do you like mushy rooms as well Daddy 'Pence?"

Sandy cast a confused look at her daughter, wondering why Henry was calling his godfather that. She noticed JJ's blush and how she mouthed that she would explain everything later.

Spencer looked sideways a little apologetically before focusing on Henry again. "I love mushrooms; I think it's a great idea for a pizza! Do you want to share with me, I don't think I can eat a whole pizza by myself," he joked and grinned at Henry's nod.

JJ smiled and ordered pizza for the four of them. They ate in relative silence and soon retreated for the night.

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

_A/N: I was in a bit of a rush to get this up for you, so the ending is probably the worst I've ever written. Anyway, hope you at least enjoy it somewhat _


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38:**

"You got a room for uhm... for the three of us?" Spencer asked as he looked at JJ with furrowed brows and an intense blush on his face. "I uhm… what about Henry?"

"What about him?" JJ asked, smiling at his flustered face.

Spencer felt himself grow more insecure with every second that passed. "I uhm… won't he find it weird that we are sharing a room… and… wow… a bed?"

"Spence, he started calling you daddy. Please don't worry about it. It's just for a few nights. We are just going to sleep, Henry will call it a sleepover," she said, trying to ease his mind.

Spencer nodded, trying to comprehend. "You and Henry could always take the double bed and I could take the single one," he said, shrugging slightly.

"Absolutely not, we're a couple now Spence, this is what couples do," JJ said and crossed her arms. She smiled as she saw Henry and her mom come over. "Alright buddy, let's go to our room," she said, picking up her son.

Spencer followed a few feet behind them, together with Sandy. He felt awkward about sharing a room with Henry and sharing a bed with JJ. He engaged in some small talk with Sandy until they reached their adjacent rooms.

"'Pence, come on, we're having a sleepover!" Henry said excitedly as he came towards Spencer, grabbing his hand.

Spencer blushed intently as he followed Henry into the hotel room, leaving JJ and her mother behind. "Alright buddy, let's go grab your toothbrush," he said, zipping the bag open.

In the hallway JJ smiled gently at her mother. "Thank you again for bringing him mom," she said softly.

"No problem sweetie," Sandy replied and smiled. "Spencer seems like a really nice man, I can see he cares for the both of you." At first Sandy hadn't been sure about her daughter's new relationship, but now that she had seen the two of them together and with Henry, she knew things were good.

"He does," JJ confirmed. "Henry adores him and so do I. Things are looking very good right now."

Sandy smiled and then bit her lip. "What about Will? How is Henry adjusting to the situation?"

JJ pursed her lips. "To be honest he's not doing very well. Will has introduced him to his new partner and Henry is confused. He feels he needs to call her mommy, but he doesn't want to and quite frankly I don't want him to either," JJ spoke and shook her head, letting out a small huff. "How self-centered of me, I'm fine with him calling Spence daddy."

"Spencer has been in Henry's life from the start. Will's new girlfriend is another story," Sandy said, trying to ease her daughter's mind.

"Thank you mom," JJ whispered. "I should go and put Henry to bed." She gave her mother a hug and a kiss on her cheek before entering the hotel room. What she saw melted her heart.

Spencer was sitting on the single bed, Henry in his lap. They were reading a story together. "No 'Pence, that's not right," Henry said, shaking his head.

JJ watched them for a while, since they hadn't spotted her yet. She allowed herself to think of how different things would've been if Henry had been Spencer's. Back when she was pregnant that had been a thought to cross her mind frequently. Henry would've had Spencer's hazel eyes and she couldn't help but wonder how much he would look like Spencer both inside and out.

"Mommy! 'Pence is not reading it right," Henry said when he spotted JJ. "You teach him mommy?"

JJ grinned and made her way over to the single bed. She sat down next to Spencer, leaning her head on his shoulder. She could feel how he tensed, but made sure not to let him know she'd noticed. She knew he had a hard time with physical contact, but was determined to change that.

Spencer felt his breath hitch in his throat at her closeness. He listened closely to JJ and Henry reading their story together. He allowed himself to turn his head ever so slightly as to smell her hair. He looked at her, startled, when she whispered his name.

JJ directed his gaze towards Henry, who was now asleep in his arms. He slowly got up from the bed, lifting Henry so they could put him to bed. Spencer smiled as he saw how JJ pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead. All of a sudden he felt the urge to do the same, so he did, earning a wide grin from JJ.

JJ walked over to the double bed, opening her bag that was sitting on it. She pulled out her black nightgown and blushed.

Spencer matched her blush. "If you uhm… want me to turn around or go into the bathroom… if that makes you more comfortable…" he rambled nervously, grabbing a shirt and a pair of pajama pants from his own bag.

"Would it make you feel more comfortable?"

"Definitely," Spencer admitted with bright red cheeks. He smiled gratefully when JJ went into the bathroom. He undressed quickly, neatly folding his clothes on a chair. He slipped on his pajama pants and a shirt and waited for JJ to come out of the bathroom so he could brush his teeth.

JJ looked at herself in the mirror, quickly checking her appearance. She wasn't entirely sure how Spencer would react to her, looking like this. The only thing she knew was that the blush would reach his ears. She let out a long sigh and opened the door to the room, seeing Spencer on the edge of the bed. "Hey," she whispered softly as she approached the bed.

Spencer looked up at her and swallowed, the blush indeed reaching his face and ears. He had to try his hardest not to look at anything but her face, knowing it would make him nervous. "H-Hey… Let me just uhm… brush my teeth," he said, rushing past her into the bathroom. He locked the door behind him and let out a long shaky sigh. Why was this making him this nervous?

JJ had to smile a bit to herself before making her way over to the bed Henry was in, making sure he was asleep. She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on his forehead before returning to the double bed, sliding under the covers.

Spencer quickly brushed his teeth and splashed some cold water in his face. He had to keep reminding himself that this was normal and that he wanted this. He did want this but he was too afraid of making a fool out of himself, in any way possible. He slowly unlocked the door and opened it, relieved to find JJ already under the covers. He walked over and slid in on the other side, keeping his distance as he turned on his side to look at her.

JJ smiled gently at him, "Are you okay?" She whispered. She too, kept her distance, wanting him to set the pace for them.

Spencer nodded slowly, "Yes, it's just all… a bit overwhelming I guess," he whispered. It wasn't like he'd never been with a woman, but truth was it had been quite some time and he was more nervous because it was JJ this time.

"You mean the case?" JJ asked, knowing he hadn't meant it, but providing him with a topic that might be easier to talk about than their feelings for each other.

"Not particularly, but I'm okay in that aspect as well," he said gently and tried to give her a smile. Yes it had shaken him up a little bit to find out his ex-girlfriend had been murdered, but time had healed all those wounds from their time together. "Thank you for bringing Henry here and staying with me until I'm better," he whispered.

"Anytime Spence, I didn't want to leave you alone and I didn't want to miss Henry any longer, so this seemed like the best solution," she said and carefully reached out a hand to brush over his cheek.

He allowed her to and scooted closer ever so slightly, leaning into her touch. "I definitely is the best solution," he said and mimicked her caress.

JJ smiled and closed her eyes momentarily, leaning into his touch. "Let's try and get some sleep."

Spencer nodded and inched even closer. He felt the need to hold her in her sleep and hoped she would allow him to, still nervous about the early stages of their relationship. "Would you uhm… would you mind if I…" he started, not sure how to ask without coming across as a total fool.

"You don't have to ask," JJ whispered, knowing what he was trying to say. She scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder, allowing him to wrap his arm around her. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss, "I love you, sleep well."

"Love you back," he replied as he pulled her closer, placing another kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well."

* * *

**TBC**


	39. Chapter 39

_A/N: I am so sorry for the super long delay on the story. For a few weeks I've been keeping busy with my new job and now that the holidays have started I came down with a writer's block. I was/am not quite sure where to take the story, but there is a new plot twist that popped into my mind, I hope I'll be able to write that out as it's in my head. Enjoy and let me know what you think!_

* * *

**Chapter 39**

JJ woke up to a pain filled groan coming from Spencer's side of the hotel bed. She opened her eyes and rolled onto her side to face him. "Are you okay?" She whispered, not sure if he was awake.

Spencer cracked open an eye and nodded against the pillow, "Just a little sore, nothing I can't handle," he attempted to tease, his voice groggy. He rolled his head sideways so he could face JJ and gave her a tired smile.

"Do you need some Tylenol, I think I have some in my bag?" JJ offered, reaching out her hand and cupping his cheek. "I know it's not going to do much, but it might relieve just a little so you can go back to sleep," she said, "I must warn you, Henry rises early," she smiled.

Even though he knew it wasn't going to be of much help, he agreed, allowing JJ to grab him two pills and a glass of water, swallowing down the pills when she offered them to him. "Thank you," he whispered gently and gave her a soft kiss before lying down on the bed again. He reached out his good arm to pull her towards him again, feeling her hesitation.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

"This is my good arm," he replied and smiled when she snuggled up against him. He could feel his heart race in his chest; it would take him some time to get used to this.

JJ draped her arm over his stomach and could feel how tight his muscles were. She smiled a little bit and kissed his good shoulder, "Sleep tight," she whispered before drifting off into a restless slumber.

* * *

"Mommy! Daddy 'Pence! Wake up," Henry nearly shouted as he jumped onto the double bed, waking both adults.

"Henry baby, careful," JJ said and grabbed his arm, pulling him to her. "Remember what I told you about Uncle Spence's owie?"

Henry let out a sigh and nodded, "Daddy 'Pence mommy," he said and shook his head, causing JJ to let out a small giggle as she looked up at Spencer.

Spencer smiled and swallowed the lump in his throat; he would need a lot of time to get used to everything he presumed. "Did you sleep well buddy?"

Henry nodded and turned to face his mother. "Where we going today mommy?" He asked. For him coming to Vegas felt like a holiday and with holiday came doing fun things like going to the pool or to the beach.

JJ ruffled his hair, "Well we're going to wait for grandma to be ready first, then we're going to have a nice breakfast downstairs. What would you like to do today?"

"Can we go swimming?" Henry asked expectantly.

"I don't think so champ, we don't have any swim wear in our bags. I'm actually not sure what would be fun here buddy, maybe uncle… daddy Spence knows," she said and turned to Spencer, flashing him a smile.

Spencer nodded, "Well there's the Adventure Dome at the Circus Circus Hotel, there's the aquarium at Silverton, the Discovery Children's Museum, Springs Preserve… So uhm… yeah…," he rambled, not entirely sure which of those options would be the most fun for Henry and the three adults.

"Adventure Dome sounds good, doesn't it Henry?" JJ asked and grinned when Henry started to nod.

"Do they have roller coasters?"

"There's the canyon blaster, the only indoor double loop, double corkscrew rollercoaster in the entire United States," Spencer nodded, "but we don't like rollercoaster, do we Henry?"

Henry raised an eyebrow, "I like roller coasters, you don't?"

Spencer bit his lip, trying to figure out how to tell the young boy that he was afraid of rollercoaster without looking like a fool. "I uhm… you know how roller coasters go really fast? When you feel the pressure of the g-forces in the coaster…" he started but shook his head. "Never mind."

Henry frowned a little bit, but seemed to have long forgotten their conversation. "We go now?"

JJ shook her head, "Let's go get freshened up and dressed, see if grandma is awake so we can go have breakfast downstairs."

"Chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Who knows buddy, who knows," she replied and got up from the bed. "Let's get you in the shower, come on."

It took them a little over half an hour to all get freshened up and dressed. Spencer had managed to shower himself without the help that JJ offered; the idea of her seeing him undressed was too much to handle at the moment. They left the hotel room and crossed the hallway to Sandy's room. "Mom? Shall we go get breakfast?" JJ called a she knocked on the door.

When no reply came JJ knocked again, "Mom?"

"Maybe she's still sleeping?" Spencer offered, not wanting to think about what other possibilities there might be.

JJ shook her head, "She's always up early. Let me try to call her cell."

As JJ tried calling her mother, Spencer kneeled down to Henry's level to keep the boy distracted and entertained while JJ tried to reach Sandy. He took a coin from his pocket and tried teaching Henry a new magic trick.

JJ walked away from the two as she dialed another familiar number. "Pen, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need a favor."

"_Of course peaches, how are my two favorite lovebirds doing far away in the city of sin?"_ Garcia replied as she faced her computer screen at Quantico.

JJ didn't respond, she was too stressed to do so, "I need you to track down a cell phone," she said and rattled off the number to Sandy's cell phone.

Garcia frowned slightly but didn't ask any questions, she knew that if JJ needed to talk she would, _"It seems like the number is just outside of Las Vegas, would that be correct?"_

JJ's eyes widened as she looked at Spencer and Henry doing magic together.

Spencer looked up just in time to meet JJ's eyes and what he saw was a look he hoped he'd never have to see again, pure desperation. He told Henry to practice a little more before walking over to JJ, peering deeply into her eyes.

"I uhm… thanks Pen, I'll call you later," JJ replied flatly, ending the call and looking at Spencer. "My mom… she's gone. It seems she's somewhere in the desert, I… what do we do now Spence?"

Spencer pulled her to him with his good arm and allowed her to cry on his shoulder. "Hotch, I will call Hotch."

* * *

**TBC**


	40. Chapter 40

_A/N: I am so sorry for the long delay on this, there is no excuse. I put myself in a difficult direction in this chapter and I couldn't get anything sufficient on paper so this is short and messy. I hope to be able to pick up a better 'style' next chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 40**

"Dave?" Aaron Hotchner asked from the doorway to his friend's office. He'd just gotten a disturbing phone call from Reid and he wanted some advice from the older agent.

Rossi looked up and motioned for Hotch to enter his office and close the door behind him. "What can I do for you?"

"It's JJ… well, JJ's mom actually. They think she's missing and I would like to go back to Vegas with the team to help them out," he spoke, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew they had nothing to go on until the local police would call them for help, but he had a bad feeling about this. He'd had spoken to Sandy Jareau on a few occasions and he couldn't imagine her to be the kind of woman to leave her daughter and grandson behind.

"You know there's nothing we can do right?" Rossi said carefully, checking for a reaction. "Not officially at least. I've been thinking of getting a vacation soon, I think Las Vegas might be a nice location," he said with a knowing glance in his eyes, nodding towards Hotch.

Hotch's mouth curved up slightly in a small smile, "Let me know if you need any company Dave, have a safe trip."

"Rossi is coming over to help us find your mom," Spencer said gently as he placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of JJ. He had made sure Henry was watching a movie on the TV in the living area of their hotel room. "He's taking the next possible flight in, but for now we have to trust that local police is going to do everything they can."

JJ looked down at the coffee cup. They'd filed a missing person's report at the station that morning and she had wanted to stay around and pressure police into helping her, but Spencer had convinced her there was nothing they could do for now. "I don't know what I'd do without her Spence…" JJ sniffled.

"Hey now, don't think like that okay? There might be a perfectly logical explanation for her cell phone being in the desert," he said, trying to make her feel better.

"Oh yeah? Hit me with one logical reason!" JJ snapped, getting up and going into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She knew Spencer was only trying to make her feel better, but right now she didn't have the sense of behaving like a patient and calm woman.

Spencer let out a deep sigh and got up, sitting next to Henry on the couch. "Hey buddy, how's the movie?" He asked, running his hand through the boy's hair.

"I don't want to watch the movie 'Pence, I want to go to grandma," he said, his lower lip trembling before tears spilled from his eyes. "Where is grandma?" He asked with a hiccup.

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat and pulled the little boy to his right side, allowing him to cry against him. He wasn't sure whether to tell Henry the truth or a little white lie to make him feel better.

Just at that moment JJ re-emerged from the bathroom, joining them. "We're not sure buddy, but we're going to do all that we can to find her okay?" She whispered and leaned towards Spencer to give his cheek a kiss. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, that wasn't fair of me."

"It's okay and completely understandable," Spencer replied in a whisper before getting up and following her back to the bed, sitting down on the edge.

"I'm just going crazy here Spence, I want to be at the police station helping out," JJ whispered as she rested her head in her hands, tears spilling on her cheeks. "What could have happened to her Spence, where is she?"

Spencer swallowed down the lump in his throat. He wanted so badly to help her, but he wasn't sure what to do. If he was honest with himself he knew what had happened to Sandy probably wasn't good and he hoped that the team was able to come out soon to help them because there was a large probability they'd be needed soon. "I… I don't know JJ… I'm… I don't know how to help you right now," he admitted slightly sheepishly.

JJ nodded, "I know Spence, I would want you with me at the police station, but I also want you right here with Henry," she whispered, looking up at him.

"Is there somewhere we could have him go, somewhere where he'd feel safe?" Spencer offered.

"My mom…" she replied, letting out a small chuckle, "I don't know Spence… Will maybe… but I don't want to confront him with his 'mommy' Emma again…"

Spencer nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I… I uhm… I think it might be the best solution for now JJ," he admitted. He didn't like the idea of Henry being confronted with Will's girlfriend either, but he didn't want the little boy in the middle of a police investigation either. Henry being with his dad would give him and JJ room to help out at the police station with Rossi.

"I know," JJ admitted in a whisper and nodded. "I'll go call Will," she said and grabbed her cell phone, making the call with Spencer present, not wanting to seem as if she was hiding something from him.

* * *

It took Will a few hours to get to Las Vegas together with Emma. He hated to admit it but he was still worried about his former mother-in-law. They might not have gotten along, but he still cared about her because of how much she meant to JJ and Henry.

He walked into the hotel lobby, Emma right behind him, spotting JJ in a corner together with Spencer. "Cher, how are you?" He asked, coming up to hug JJ.

"You know, you really shouldn't call her that anymore," Spencer muttered under his breath, but it was still caught by both Will and JJ.

JJ's eyes widened as Will's eyes narrowed, "Being all chivalrous now… Spence?" He said and looked at his almost ex-wife.

JJ let out a sigh, "Please, let's just focus," she whispered, not wanting to get into this at this moment. "Will, thank you for picking up Henry, he shouldn't be around for this."

Will nodded a little, still looking at Spencer suspiciously before moving towards the bedroom to talk to his son.

"You must be Emma," JJ said and extended her hand to the young woman, a fake smile plastered on her face. "Pleased to meet you."

The ladies exchanged some more polite small talk until it was time for Henry to leave with them. JJ kneeled down and wrapped her arms around her boy, hugging him tightly to her while she begged her tears not to fall. "Have a good time with daddy, big boy."

Henry had tears in his eyes and looked helplessly at his mother and his 'daddy 'Pence'. He didn't want to go, but he could feel there was no other option. He bit his lip and nodded, determined to be a good boy for his mother.

When the trio had left the hotel room JJ looked up at Spencer who wrapped his arms around her tightly, allowing her to cry.

He held her for a while before pulling back, "Let's go back to the station, Rossi should arrive any moment," he said and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Let's find your mom."

* * *

**TBC**


End file.
